Prepare to die

I don’t mean to be morbid but I think it’s wise to consider our own mortality from time to time.

Hearing about the recent death of fellow cyclist and friend, David Andretzke, has got me wondering about what I’d leave behind if my time came suddenly.

During the past week or so I’ve been thinking through what kind of a strain my death would put on my family. We find it hard enough to make ends meet as it is. I wonder how far the money would stretch if my modest wage stopped tomorrow. I think that there’d be a payout through my superannuation fund if I died but I don’t know that it’d go too far. Maybe I need to check out exactly what the score is there.

I’m comforted by the fact that family members, both on Pauline’s side and mine, would provide what support they could. I know that our church family would also be there to help in many ways.

Skeletons in the Closet

The other thing I’ve been thinking about is having my family sort through all my belongings. I try to live an honest and open life so there wouldn’t be any surprises, but it’s reminded me of stories of people passing on, only have their loved ones find out later that the person they thought they knew was someone quite different to the image they had portrayed.

Wouldn’t it be awful for a family dealing with their grief to discover the person they thought they knew was hiding some dark secret?

I reckon the easiest way to avoid having skeletons in our closets revealed after our deaths is not to find better hiding spots, but to ensure that we maintain our integrity both when people are watching as well as when there’s no one else around. We tend to like ourselves a lot better that way too.

The Final Farewell

Sometimes I wonder who’ll turn up at my funeral when my life here is over. Will those who do show up have good things to say or will their silence tell a different story? I will have no chance to control what’s said when the time comes but I can do something about it while I’m still here by the way I choose to live my life. Will I leave friends and family with good memories? That’s up to me and the choices I make every day of my life.

I wonder about what kind of difference I’m making to the wider world. Will I be missed by more than those close to me? Will there be those I’ve never met who will be thankful that I was once alive? Am I making a difference through my work and through the the volunteer tasks I undertake?

I’m not dead yet

I should probably add that all this talk about leaving this planet isn’t because I’m planning on doing so anytime soon. I’m enjoying life too much to go at the moment. I have a magnificent family, a great job, wonderful friends and a blog that needs updating regularly. I’m not planning on leaving it all behind just yet, but you never know when your time is up.

Being confident that there’s something better beyond the grave isn’t going to convince me to get there any faster than I need to. I believe in life after death but I’d like to ensure that I get to live this life first.

What About You?

Do you ever wonder how it would be if you were no longer around? Will those you leave behind remember you as someone who made a positive difference to their world? Are you involved in things that will mean that your life will have an impact even after you’re gone?

I wonder also if you believe that there’s something more than this life. Have you seriously considered what there may be beyond the grave? Is your daily life reflecting your belief?

I’d love to hear your point of view on the whole subject. I look forward to reading your comments.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

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