In my blog “With Great Difficulty or More Fully” (July 24, 2021), I referenced an article written by Dr. Ira Byock in which he discussed how doctors faced the end of life. Whether it was coincidence or not, only a few days after reading Dr. Byock’s article, a friend sent a poem by Dawna Markova (Awakin.org) titled “I Will Not Die an Unlived Life.” I’d like to share it with you.
I will not die an unlived life
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.
These inspirational words are a reminder to all of us, whether healthy or sick, that we should live our lives open to possibilities, not constrained by fear. I realize this is easier said than done, especially when facing the end of life. Nonetheless, what completes our story is what we do in these circumstances.