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Memento Mori

My epic friend wrote the most incredible post yesterday entitled Memento Mori. "Memento Mori" is a Latin phrase signifying the importance of always being mindful of death. Essentially, one should always remember that you are going to one day die.

Some may feel this is a morbid thought to keep top of mind, but I believe death is what gives life meaning. If we all were going to live forever, and we all had forever to accomplish everything, what urgency would there ever be to get things done today? What significance would relationships have if we could have each other always and forever? It's the knowing that one day there will be no more of what we now have that helps us treasure that which we do have. Time is precious because one day this life that we are now living will be no more.

I'm not saying that I believe there is no life after death, but I am saying that I'm not sure that the life we live hereafter will be anything like the life I'm now living. I'm not sure who will be where I go next and what conditions will exist. That very knowing is what makes everything about my yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows so precious.

And so I celebrate death for the beautiful reminder it is that we should treasure our present moments, people, and places. We should celebrate our circumstances, and challenges because something else is coming next and while I'm not sure what exactly that next is, I am certain that all we have is right now. We learn to live when we understand that we will die. And just because we are all going to one day die, doesn't mean life is depressing and meaningless. As Stephen so beautifully states: 
Death isn’t what makes life meaningless -- it’s the very thing that gives life meaning.
And as Michel Montaigne so beautifully said:
"He who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live."
 Memento Mori!
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