The Gift of Death

‘Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows.’ – Michael Landon

 

 

 

I have lost 2 mothers. 

One was sudden. 

The other was prolonged. 

Neither was good. 

But for the prolonged illness, watching her in pain was horrifying. That on the news of her death, it was painful to lose her but it was a relief that she didn’t have to go through the pain any longer. 

Man almost always goes towards pleasure and runs away from pain. 

Death is the ultimate release from the pain of this world. 

It is one that will come, a termination that we do not like to think or talk about. But we do not know how and when it will arrive. But it will surely come. 

Regardless, for both my mothers, the kiss of death was a release from the struggles of this world. Despite all money can buy, it cannot buy eternal life. 

It can buy you time like it did my mother who recently passed on. It bought her 4 years. These 4 years  we used to prepare for her time, to listen, learn and ask questions. 

A gift I did not get to share with my own mother because she left suddenly. But she left  with little pain. One minute here and the next, a heart attack. 

For both, death was a gift. And one I think we should embrace. Because it makes you Value the time you have, the family you have, the friends you love, the work you do. 

You realize how you cannot and should not have an attitude of ‘tomorrow I will do it’ because you have no power over tomorrow. In fact, You have no power over today. 

So make hay while the sun shine, till you also receive, the gift of death. 

Tolu Dima-Okojie