Mortality Lesson
When that 7 Things Meme was going around, it asked 7 things you'd do before you die. I answered with my expiration date far in the future, but my mortality was brought home to me this weekend.
This weekend the Wet Noodle Posse lost one of our members. Maryanne Cappelletti was a finalist in the 2003 short contemporary category of the Golden Heart. She was a young mother, a wonderful writer with a big-name agent and interest from Brenda Chin, and so full of life and energy. Her disease, scleraderma, started taking its toll the summer of 2003, and her involvement with the Wet Noodle Posse, once so active, fell off as she fought for her health. She lost the battle this weekend.
On top of being heartbroken for her family and all who knew her, I have to face one of my worst fears – dying before I’m done.
Done with what, you ask? Well, done with anything I’ve started. Done loving my husband, done raising my son, done paying for the house, done writing the ideas I have (if I made that bargain with God, to let me live till I had written all my ideas, I’d be in the Guinness Book of Records), heck, done reading the book I’m reading.
I’ve played the game, you know, thinking about being given a limited time to live, what would I do. Isaac Asimov said he’d write faster. I think that would be me, too. I’d stop sleeping so much ;) I’d sit in my backyard more. If I had the resources, I’d travel.
And I’d berate myself for letting so much time pass before I waited to do these things.
So in addition to mourning Maryanne, I’m going to learn from her. I’m not going to have any regrets when my time comes.
I don't think Maryanne would mind me posting a picture of Gerry.
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10 comments:
I'm so sorry for your loss. Life is precious and we should treat it as such by not wasting any of it. Hugs to you and your friends family!
(((Mary)))
My condolences go out to her family and all who knew her :(
How very, very sad. But how better to respect her memory than your living your life to the fullest? You've got the right attitude, Mary, and hugs to you for you loss...
I'm so sorry Mary. That is just heartbreaking. Her poor family.
I don't think you ever finish everything you want to, but maybe some things we do can give us satisfaction--like seeing our babies grow, like finishing those stories and loving our husbands.
I hope you get everything Mary.
I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. It's hard losing someone you care about.
If I were given a short timeline to live, I'd toss everything into the wind and spend it with my children. Nothing else matters.
Besides, I know where I'm going when I die, so I'll just be waiting in Heaven for the ones I love.
Also...
Fear is the absence of faith...
{{{Mary}}}
I didn't know her, but I empathize with your loss. I think we all need to seize the day. There are many things I'd like to do and see before I go, but when my Master calls, it's time. As Dana said, I too know where I'm headed, so I don't fear living forever with the Lord. The problem? Well, I just know me. I'll be up there obsessing and worrying about my loved ones down here. :-)
Tanya
I'm so sorry, Mar. Hugs to you, dearest.
Live to the fullest. That's why we're here.
J
((Mary)) It's never easy to loose someone. My prayers are with her family and friends.
What a beautiful tribute to her that you've taken something positive away from this. That thanks to her experience you'll attempt to live a fuller life!
April
Thanks for all the hugs and good wishes. Stacy, you're right about it being a cruelty of life that we don't know what we have until we know we can lose it.
I'm not worried about DYING so much as not finishing living. Though I don't think that I can say I know where I'm going ;) .......
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