End in Mind is dedicated to igniting conversations about what matters in living and dying. We’ve talked to many people who’ve been handed a terminal health diagnosis. They tell us they quickly learned what was most important to them as they faced the end of their lives. The rest of us should pay attention as the dying are great teachers for the living.
The late Bruce Kramer noted that death is like a telescope. It brings everything into sharp focus.
I remember asking Bruce one day what he thought life was all about. He thought a moment and said “It’s all about love. The Beatles had it right. All you need is love.” I scoffed at my friend saying that felt pretty simplistic but Bruce persisted, saying he felt that the chief lessons we all need to learn before we die is how to love and be loved.
It’s interesting that other friends who are facing their mortality head-on say the same thing.
A friend who has been living with brain cancer has discovered that love is healing. Another friend, who is facing a life that may only be as long as “weeks or months” has come to the realization that all that matters right now are the relationships with those who love him.
A beautiful friend, who has been living with ALS for some time, wrote about love in a recent CaringBridge blog entry:
“When I am looking death in the face it allows me the opportunity to really look back and analyze my life. I wish I would have taken the time saying “I love you.”
Researchers think there are only two basic human emotions: fear and love. We tend to live in fear. How might the world be different if we all lived in love?
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