A week ago, we flew across the country to see a family member who had been sent home for hospice care.

We are still reverberating from the many unexpected moments of healing and beauty that occurred during this powerful time of transition. We learned to go moment by moment, responding to whatever came during the mysterious process. This quote expanded our view:

Poet W.H. Auden’s friend Chester Kallman’s brilliant imagined last words:

“I’ve never done this before.”

…which is as open-hearted a way as we can think of for moving toward anything, in life or death…

This crimson bridge made by artist Steve Messem of 20,000 sheets of paper seems a fitting image.

Steve Messem
Steve Messem

For M. with love.

 

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

One thought on “Words for Living and Dying

  1. What a lovely post, Sally. Saying I’m sorry for you loss doesn’t begin to express my feelings on your loss. Vice President Joe Biden’s words have been much on my mind this week. I hope they give you some comfort as they have me. “Just when you think you’re going to make it, you’re driving down the road and you pass a field and you see a flower, and it reminds you. Or you hear a tune on the radio. Or you just look up into the night and, you know, you think, ‘Maybe I’m not going to make it, man.’ Because you feel at that moment the way you felt the day you got the news.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *