If March 2011 was your last month to live, how would you live it?
Since I responded to the February 2011 Reverb Prompt with a SWOT Analysis, I decided to keep the "business vibe" thing going and do a pie chart analysis of my last month. This endeavor would have been a lot easier if I had "excelled at EXCEL," but here we go:
Version Number One, Incorporating "Sleep" and "Miscellaneous":
Take out sleep and miscellaneous and I have:
To elaborate briefly, since the categoriy labels are a bit difficult to see, once "sleep" and "miscellaneous" are gone, the top four equal sizes of the pie are:
- Time as a family - me, Wayne, Tenley and Wayne Kevin
- Time with each child as an individual to build as many memories as possible (not necessarily of big "EVENTS" but of being together)
- Time with the people I have "loved and liked" - to make sure they know why
- Next would be setting up a project that I would like to be my legacy - since I won't be using my Passport until I am 46, I want a way for people who love travel and love seeing the world but don't necessarily have the means to have a way to do that more easily - the "Use That Passport" Fund
- Exercise - with only a month left, exercise wouldn't be about dropping pounds or building muscle, but just enjoying the thrill of movement and fresh air
- New York City - there would have to be two days of walking around the city I love
- Worship - it's fundamental to who I am
- Making Amends - taking one more opportunity to restore broken or fragile relationships
- The Celebration - helping to plan my memorial service, one where people celebrate what was good about me, commit to helping my children lead happy lives and for Heaven's Sake when they ask for stories, someone comes up to the microphone (I hate that awkward moment at funerals where they ask for stories about the deceased and no one approaches the microphone)
A couple of takeaways:
You'll notice there's a huge, humongous slice of the first pie that is labeled "miscellaneous." I think the lesson there is that even if you are down to a month left, part of the gift life hands us is the "not knowing" and being open to that is key.
It's odd that reading isn't in there. I do love to read but if I only have 31 days, I'll probably be eating life pie.
What would your "life pie" look like?
1 comment:
I don't mean to add a depressing comment, but one of my closest friend's husbands is dying of cancer at 40. He probably has a couple of days left at best. This post just really resonated with me. I'd like to share a piece of advice she gave to me: make all of your final arrangements (will, insurance, services) while you're young and healthy so that when the time comes, you can spend your last days doing more important things.
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