Matters of Life and Death

Mortality is that concept beyond our imagining. It shadows us from first breath to last gasp and we spend our life giving it the finger or persuading ourselves it surely doesn’t apply to us. We live that car chase always eluding death and its speed bumps until it catches us with severe tire damage to our vitals.

These past ten days I have been told of the death of two friends. Sylvia was in her nineties having endured more slings and arrows than most.  Brad left the world still in his creative prime. I mourn them both.

After a heart attack and lingering cardiac and pulmonary pressure along with a series of other bodily insults my ex-wife Lyn knocked on death’s door asking for an exit from this mortal coil. My daughters said their separate goodbyes on Friday. She died Sunday night in an easeful departing.

Though we had little contact for over three decades I find myself dwelling on those early years; how we discovered the adult world together at age twenty-one. We shared that great adventure having arrived in Los Angeles newly married, and I confident (or dumb) enough to assume I’d pass the pharmacy licensing exam which I did. Lyn and I stumbled and bumbled our way along. By age twenty-nine we were parents of three girls one of whom had special needs. In a sense all our needs are special as we find our way. Looking back, I’m left with an album of memories filled with endearing images.

There’s a man going round taking names. / There’s a man going round taking names. / He has taken these people’s names  / And has left my heart in pain. / There’s a man going round taking names.

In this confrontation with the end of life we come away in a deeper place as if mortality wakes us up to the full measure of life. Priorities get rearranged and each moment becomes a blessing. Death is no match for love and the rhapsody of life. Go ahead, squeeze the orange, pits and all, new life awaits in the seeds and there is juice yet to be slurped.