November
Traditionally November has been a month to remember not only soldiers who have sacrificed so much for all of us, but also relatives and friends who have gone to their reward.
When I was growing up, All Souls Day was a very important part of tradition, and it followed that November became a time to remember our departed loved ones and reflect on the impact they had on our lives.
I think the Mexicans have the right idea when they mark The Day of the Dead with celebrations believing that it’s a time when loved ones return. That day is actually two days. On November 1st, they believe that’s when children who have passed return, and that adults return on November 2nd. Taking time to welcome their deceased loved ones with their favorite foods, drinks, etc. must certainly ease the pain of their departure.
With all these reminders of death, I see November as a time to reflect on the passage of time and how we use it. While the month does remind us of our mortality, to me the true message is that we should live each day as though it were our last. Then we will have a lot of great days!
That does not mean avoiding the obvious.
In a conversation with an old acquaintance recently, she confessed that she still has not made a Will. I was astounded. Plenty of time, she said, but I suspect she believes that such a step would surely bring about her demise. I tried to tell her that all she’s doing is insuring her family will have a ton of headaches as they try to settle her estate, but I doubt I was successful.
Too bad. I believe we all have a duty to simplify things for those who will remain behind. That’s the reason that, in addition to a Will, I have prepared a list of how I would like some personal things to be distributed. Nothing of much value, simply things that I know each of my children and grandchildren will appreciate receiving for sentimental reasons. The idea is that each recipient will have a memento and that it will be simpler for everyone concerned. That being done, I can concentrate on living.
Recently, while putting some order in my large collection of books, I came across the book Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie Siegel, M.D. The book was a great success when it was published a couple of decades back. It focused on the need to have a positive attitude no matter what happens to us. Now retired, Siegel uses the internet to remind people to enjoy life if they want to have longer, healthier lives. Although death is inevitable, it is not a failure, he says, but rather our final growth experience.
