On Death

 Just reviewed the blog. Looked back a couple years. The majority of posts have been about death; of friends, of family. I've given that some thought.

I'm approaching 70. Someone said "As you approach 70 you become less of a participant and more of a spectator. Things that once mattered a lot to you now don't matter as much." I find that to be true. My passions have shifted. Away from politics, social media and public perception. I'm still very interested in learning something new every day typically concerning science, technology, spirituality. And my focus on family has increased. Grandkids will do that to you.

If you are fortunate enough to outlive family and friends (sometimes doesn't feel like a blessing) you will experience that sense of profound loss; of the person, of the friendship, but also of the shared memories. 

I can no longer call my mom and dad to ask questions about our shared history. Or my sons. Or childhood friends and more recent friends. Now my memories, right or wrong, are all that is left. And the value of those still here increases exponentially.

As we become more solitary, our memories become more important to us. I begin to more fully understand the tragedy of dementia and Alzheimer disease; a stripping away of that which is most fundamental and most critical to who we have been.

As we age, the past becomes more dominant, the present more precious, the future less of a focus. And the reality of death more real. Not that I'm obsessed with death, though my more recent blogs might suggest that. It's more an attempt to collect the memories. Those memories have such value for me if no one else.

I think at this stage of life that reconnecting with family and friends still here gains new importance and urgency. To harvest the shared memories. To remember Life's joy and the laughter. To remember the love.