Excellent article. Embracing death as an ally 40 years ago helped me rise above a terrifying suicidal depression and mind-savaging anxiety. I didn't fully understand it, and still don't. But it has been a good strategy for me over these years. Indeed, this year has been tough. An already simple income down. Voluntary simplicity becoming involuntary simplicity (poverty) at times. Close friends moved away. Work sporadic. Depression never far away. I slid into "poor me" stories, toyed with the idea of ending it.
But last week the man who lives in the apartment above me attempted to take his own life. The landlord asked me to enter the apartment with him to do a check while the tenant was in the emergency ward. The detritus of his long night of the soul (and almost his last one) was shocking. Pills. Blood. Vomit. Stark reality!
Later, trying to process these events, I once again chose death as my ally. A friend to hover just above my right shoulder and keep me present, keep me open to the beauties and mysteries of life. No more toying with the idea of ending. A clear sense of how wonderful life is and what a challenge it is -- and a strong desire to own my own feelings and behaviour and to embrace that challenge with all I have to bring to it. Life is precious, and death is part of life. I believe it's best to strive to be fully alive, even as we embrace the ultimate fact of our death. To hide from death is to fear it, and worse, perhaps, to fear death and, seeking relief from life's difficulties, even pursue it.
On Jun 8, 2012 Bruce wrote:
Excellent article. Embracing death as an ally 40 years ago helped me rise above a terrifying suicidal depression and mind-savaging anxiety. I didn't fully understand it, and still don't. But it has been a good strategy for me over these years. Indeed, this year has been tough. An already simple income down. Voluntary simplicity becoming involuntary simplicity (poverty) at times. Close friends moved away. Work sporadic. Depression never far away. I slid into "poor me" stories, toyed with the idea of ending it.
But last week the man who lives in the apartment above me attempted to take his own life. The landlord asked me to enter the apartment with him to do a check while the tenant was in the emergency ward. The detritus of his long night of the soul (and almost his last one) was shocking. Pills. Blood. Vomit. Stark reality!
Later, trying to process these events, I once again chose death as my ally. A friend to hover just above my right shoulder and keep me present, keep me open to the beauties and mysteries of life. No more toying with the idea of ending. A clear sense of how wonderful life is and what a challenge it is -- and a strong desire to own my own feelings and behaviour and to embrace that challenge with all I have to bring to it. Life is precious, and death is part of life. I believe it's best to strive to be fully alive, even as we embrace the ultimate fact of our death. To hide from death is to fear it, and worse, perhaps, to fear death and, seeking relief from life's difficulties, even pursue it.