Life and Death

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” - Unknown

There are many birthdays to celebrate in January. My Mom's was on Sunday. Inara (my godmother) and EVB's birthdays are today, Mindy's (and my late grandfather's) is on Thursday, and I believe JB's is maybe the 24th (Wendi?).

However, while we also celebrate birth, we also celebrate a life well-lived. Agnese, my godmother's mother, passed away yesterday in Virginia, 2 months short of her 99th birthday (She and my Dad share the same birthday, 40 years apart). Agnese suffered a considerable stroke just before New Year's Day, and became less responsive over the course of these past couple of weeks. It is sad, especially for Inara, Baiba, and the rest of her family who have spent such quality (and so many!) years with her. And it was difficult for me to see her while I was home, being consulted as a soon-to-be medical "professional" about "what I thought"/decisions about her care and also just because she was not herself. However, it is remarkable and I think we all need to be thankful that she lived so many great years. She was in good health and completely lucid just before the event, even going on international trips with John and Inara and attending my sister's college graduation this May. I think most people would agree that almost 99 good years would count as a wonderful life.

As Abraham Lincoln said, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." She had both the years and the life in those years.

I'm often pondering the "meaning" of my own life and whether I'm doing all that I should be doing to live it to the fullest. I think we do need to live each day like it is our last-- to love without expectation, to laugh, and to enjoy every day we're around. I think it's really important to remember this as the milestones of "birthdays" come up. Let us continue to celebrate birth and to celebrate life. Let us remember Agnese and wish a happy birthday today to Erin and Inara.

Carpe Diem.