I was married to Mr. One-Day-at-a-Time. After his diagnosis with stage 4 prostate cancer (it had already spread to his bones), he lived one day at a time for more than nine years. He embraced life and practiced kindness and rarely made plans more than a few days out. “Be kind” and “do not worry” were his mantras. “Death is a feature,” he would say, “not a flaw.” He attributed the saying to Lewis Black, but I’ve not been able to verify that.
Years ago, before we were married, we worked with an ex-marine who cheated death twice. The second time left him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. “Every day is a gift,” he would say, “every meal a feast.” His joy was infectious.
Mortal. And grateful. With an attitude to approach life with a smile and make the most of each day. And to practice kindness. No matter what.
— Teressa
Years ago, before we were married, we worked with an ex-marine who cheated death twice. The second time left him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. “Every day is a gift,” he would say, “every meal a feast.” His joy was infectious.
Mortal. And grateful. With an attitude to approach life with a smile and make the most of each day. And to practice kindness. No matter what.
— Teressa
A true and beautiful philosophy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Teressa. I feel I have come to know your Beloved a little bit through you, and also grieve his absence from the world. It sounds like you were a true gift to each other. Thank you for the courage to go deeply down that place of joy and pain both. I wish you beauty in the rest of your life. cw
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