You Don’t Have to Live Forever, You Just Have to Live

March: On DeathMarch 21Today's reflection was inspired by Clare Harner's poem "Immortality."Immortality—something that humans have dreamed of since we became conscious of our own short and precious lifespan. Books have been written on it, movies made, and quests undergone by hopeful travelers in search of legendary fountains from which to drink everlasting youth. And today, you can find millionaires and billionaires desperately seeking treatments and interventions and protocols to extend their lifespan as far into the future as they can. But they’re all missing the point. The moral of those stories is that immortality is a curse and that any life worth living eventually has to end. Immortality would take away one of the key elements that defines our existence as humans—our impermanence. The short-lived nature of our lives is what makes our feelings, emotions, and actions so very intense. It is what gives us our purpose. And in a way, aren't you immortal already? You, who are made of star stuff . . . ?Reflection title: You Don’t Have to Live Forever, You Just Have to LiveCreative inspiration: Clare Harner, "Immortality"Reflection Question: Am I focusing too much on the quantity of life granted to me, or am I focused on the quality?