Between Birth and Death, What's Important Is How We Live

Irrational fear is how I have characterized the many people who huddle in their homes, afraid that the Covid boogyman will get them.  But a more compassionate and nuanced look at such people comes from an article by Jenni White at The Federalist entitled How Losing My Son Years Ago Took Away My Fear Of Covid 19.

Today, as I watch the specter of COVID-19 cause fear in so many, even people I’ve thought of as essentially fearless, I look back over my life and realize that through all its travails, pains, and losses I’ve gained perspective many others may lack.

Something that kills 48.9 people out of 100,000 (2.3 percent of the population) when I’ve survived cancer, a disease that kills 139.6 people out of 100,000, doesn’t truly scare me. Our oldest son is one of 34.1 million people (13 percent of the population) diagnosed with diabetes, yet he works hard at managing his disease and is healthy and thriving today. I’m among one in 1 million women in the United States whose pregnancies ended in stillbirth, yet, after a rocky start, we brought home another healthy son nearly a year later.

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For me, it boils down to this: life is a condition that ends in death 100 percent of the time for 100 percent of human beings. There’s no stopping it. It will come whether we’re ready or not, and possibly when we least expect it.

What’s important is how we live our lives during the days, weeks, and years in between. If we allow fear of illness or death to rule our lives, we’ll be unable to learn the lessons we learn through all life’s trials, troubles, and struggles — and isn’t that what makes life worth living?

I don't take stupid risks, but everything one does, every decision one makes, involves risks. She is right that we are all going to die. The question is are you going to actually LIVE, or huddle in your home, and die anyway.