Dying Well…between now and dead…

…the analytic mind bypasses a broad set of moral, spiritual, and philosophical questions about what it means to be a human, and merely dissects and corrects. However, what if we began with questions about what it means to die well?
_{Kevin Brown}

A question DR. Laura¹…one of the most popular talk show hosts in radio history, Dr. Laura Schlessinger offers no-nonsense advice infused with a strong sense of ethics, accountability, and personal responsibility; she’s been doing it successfully for more than 30 years, reaching millions of listeners weekly.  often asks her callers , “..what do you want your life to look like between now and dead?”

Answers to the question define for a responder what it means to die well. Consider a few responses to “How do you want to live the final 10 years of your life? from Quora:

…do whatever I damn well please.

…travel the whole world and meet new aquaintances 

…try to be helpful and/or make someone’s day a bit better

…walk in nature every day for at least 2 hours.
live in a beautiful village that has a fresh market two to three times a week.
In the afternoon — around the hour of apero — I’ll have a drink and a cigarette.
read, write and listen to music — A LOT.
be very very slim — like I am now.
do tai chi and stretching exercises in the morning sun.
have a fireplace.
host people on my property — whether it be friends or travellers.

…About the same way I’ve been doing it.
I’m poor, so there is no travel, no vacations, no bucket list for me. I’d keep living my life, day to day, minute by minute. I’d spend time with my sister.

…I am very happy with the way my life is going, I don’t have anything on any “bucket list” to accomplish. I’m retired, living in a paid for home, have adequate retirement income, and I am debt free. 10 more years of what I am doing now would be enough to keep me happy.

 …Attend Shows the impersonation of Elvis, Enjoy a beautiful sunset on the beach, accompanied by a Cold Beer, Brass wind music, Good seafood and the Mother of My Sons and Daugther. Thanking God for so many blessings received throughout my life.

…remaining life I want to live for other people who needs any sort of help, by free teaching, looking after who are patients, needy and poor people. To solve the problems by my life experience. Also all types of charity work. My aim is some one should get benefited from my soul.

“NOW” between now and death is the the occasion of an “existential slap”²“existential slap” —that moment when a [dying] person first comprehends, on a gut level, that death is close. For many, the realization comes suddenly: “The usual habit of allowing thoughts of death to remain in the background is now impossible,” . “Death can no longer be denied.”¹  that awakens us to our mortality.

I propose that “existential slap” initiates “second half” ³According to Father Richard Rohr, the second half of life is a time to discover the meaning of life and to live in the present moment. It’s a time to let go of the ego and to find a deeper sense of self.  life.

Life’s second half is characterized by:
… a time to discover the meaning of life 
… a time to let go of the ego and find a deeper sense of self 
…a time to live in the present moment without tension or judgment 
…a time to find a deeper purpose for life 
…a time to find a more spacious, vibrant sense of self ¹

Dying well is a second half endeavor. Our concern is not so much to have what you love anymore, but to love what you have—right now.

We are a “first-half-of-life culture,” largely concerned about surviving successfully. : establishing an identity, a home, relationships, friends, community, security, and building a proper platform for our only life.

You cannot walk the second journey with first journey tools. You need a whole new tool kit.
Understanding and applying those tools is the task of dying well.

Life is learning to die in order to be born again. The creature participates in using their death to become a human being. To be clear, this isn’t a stoical acceptance of death as the cessation and end of life, a materialistic, nihilistic vision of “dying well.” We are describing death as birth-pangs, as moving toward mystical union with God. Again, death is being used as a tool. The soul is perfected and purified as it moves through this world of contingency, full of suffering and tribulation. The soul experiences this life as a birthing, as labor pains in a process of sanctification. 
We die to arrive as human beings.
_{Richard Beck}

Answers to “..what do you want your life to look like between now and dead?” reveal how we intend to use of our dying. Do we double down on a materialistic, nihilistic vision like most of the Quora responses?; or, do we seek to be more fully human, moving toward mystical union with God?

Take time to ponder your answers.
I have chosen to pursue the latter — but questions remain…

• What are tools for second journey?
• What does it mean to be fully human ?
• Is seeking to be more fully human, moving toward mystical union with God consistent with prevailing concepts of discipleship? If so, how? If not, Why?

STIIL ON THE JOURNEY.

1. Richard Rohr ↩︎

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  …one of the most popular talk show hosts in radio history, Dr. Laura Schlessinger offers no-nonsense advice infused with a strong sense of ethics, accountability, and personal responsibility; she’s been doing it successfully for more than 30 years, reaching millions of listeners weekly. 
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  “existential slap” —that moment when a [dying] person first comprehends, on a gut level, that death is close. For many, the realization comes suddenly: “The usual habit of allowing thoughts of death to remain in the background is now impossible,” . “Death can no longer be denied.”¹ 
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  According to Father Richard Rohr, the second half of life is a time to discover the meaning of life and to live in the present moment. It’s a time to let go of the ego and to find a deeper sense of self.