Last year my Mother had a "Bucketlist Party" for her 60th birthday. The guests were asked to write down their "Bucketlists" and share them with everyone else. Most of My Mother's friends are over 50 and it was interesting to see how their "lists" compared to mine. I started thinking of the mental list I had made when I was about 19, "Surf, Travel, Get Laid". Which I basically did for about 15 years. Somewhere during that time I got where I wanted to be. I was living in Tahiti. Paradise. World's best surf. Beautiful women everywhere. Then one day a friend of mine there, comitted suicide. Words don't explain what I saw and felt. It shook my ideas of my self and the way I was living. Here was somebody living in paradise , the life I was trying to create, and for reasons I did not fully comprehend, he decided to end his life. I put every bit of energy into that lifestyle and then one day it all seem so meaningless. My "Bucketlist" was empty and void of meaning. When I look now at the things I want to do, accomplish, my legacy before I die, it seems like an evolution towards one with meaning is more important. I think that any goals I put forth from here on out is an ever-evolving contract, a sort of sacred contract between myself, and something much bigger than me.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Music and Death
"What hurts the most" by Rascall Flatts is a song I'll always remember and relate to Ashley Lynn Walker.
I've only lost one person in my life to the demon of death and it was her own choice. My brother's fiance took her own life in March 2005. In December 2005 Rascall Flatts remade the song "What hurts the most." This song makes me think about how hard it must be for my brother to lose someone he was so close to and have to find her the way he did. The songs concept is how hard it is to grieve after someone you lose someone so close. Also, about how much it hurts to see their friends, friends and places that remind them of that person. It's a beautiful song and if you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you take a listen.
-Samantha Seeley
I've only lost one person in my life to the demon of death and it was her own choice. My brother's fiance took her own life in March 2005. In December 2005 Rascall Flatts remade the song "What hurts the most." This song makes me think about how hard it must be for my brother to lose someone he was so close to and have to find her the way he did. The songs concept is how hard it is to grieve after someone you lose someone so close. Also, about how much it hurts to see their friends, friends and places that remind them of that person. It's a beautiful song and if you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you take a listen.
-Samantha Seeley
Monday, August 29, 2011
Man's best friend
Today's class and the discussion of the therapy dog in the hospice facility reminded me of this photo that I saw last week that absolutely broke my heart.
You can find the news article that accompanies the photo here.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Dog Lover Response
For some reason it's not allowing me to comment on the Dog Lover Post, so this is in response to that. It was really important to me:
The very last sentence gave me chills. It also makes me happy that someone took the time to post this. I am a HUGE animal person & absolutely believe that a pet is just as a part of your family as you are. If we are reunited with our families after this life, my pets better be there as well. Thank you, thank you for posting this! Gives me hope that there's more animal people out there than it seems!
- Steph Nester
The very last sentence gave me chills. It also makes me happy that someone took the time to post this. I am a HUGE animal person & absolutely believe that a pet is just as a part of your family as you are. If we are reunited with our families after this life, my pets better be there as well. Thank you, thank you for posting this! Gives me hope that there's more animal people out there than it seems!
- Steph Nester
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Losing them and finding yourself.
While listening to the songs that have been posted on this blog, I immediately thought about those that I’ve lost through out my life, especially those who died at such a young age. The person I thought about deeply was a friend who took her own life at the age of 20. Each and every time I saw her, she had a smile on her face, and what seemed to be joy in her life. However, we came to find that she was deeply tortured by her own demons, and could no longer stand to be in this world. Music such as this, can either bring us back to remembering the goods time we had spent with those who have died, or lead to us remember their deaths. Music can evoke such a range of emotions in us, and I believe this is an essential part of the grieving process. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who shared :)
Friday, August 26, 2011
For You Dog Lovers in the Class
The following story is from an anonymous author. It is comforting to people who believe that their pets will be with them in heaven.
A man and his dog were walking along the road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occcurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we"?
"This is Heaven," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water"? the man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too"? the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he come to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me," he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there." The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's conffusing, " the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad that they use Heaven's name like that?"
"No, I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who will leave their best friends behind."
A man and his dog were walking along the road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occcurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we"?
"This is Heaven," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water"? the man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too"? the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he come to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me," he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there." The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's conffusing, " the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad that they use Heaven's name like that?"
"No, I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who will leave their best friends behind."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Today in class I especially enjoyed the discussion of death and music. I agree that music is a very powerful force in happiness as well as sadness and plays a part in many other emotions. I heard this song a few months ago and I think it's a beautiful song. It recognizes that while death can be a depressing time for friends and family of the deceased, the life of that individual should also be celebrated. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.
Rachel Weeping
I found today's class very interesting with its pieces of art that accompanied the course textbook. More particularly, it was the painting by Charles Willson Peale, "Rachel Weeping," that intrigued me the most. There is so much that this painting tells from what I perceived from it. The use of light and dark colors that evoke both life and death. A hint of both time and culture are also present within this piece, that makes it that much more valuable in present time. Before today's lecture, I never knew of the customs that Americans back in these times had practiced during times of death and mourning. The display of the tying both the child's arms and the jaw is something that I have neither seen or heard of before. I was really fascinated with this painting by Peale. I hope to discover more things about this course that stir my interest, and by how things have been going thus far in class, I'm sure I will.
Music and Death
During today's discussion about how some people use music as a coping mechanism, this song popped into my head. My freshman year I was introduced to this song by my neighbor. He had lost his mother when he was young (around 10 I think) and he was very comfortable talking about it. He played this song for me and was talking about how every time his father heard the song, to this day, it made him cry. Even though listening to it brought him to tears, it wsa one of his favorite songs, because it reminded him about how much he loved his wife. I think it is a beautiful song, and I hope you all feel the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqtuFemMOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqtuFemMOE
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Humorous Take on Death?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-0Sr-BV5A
I saw this video on Tosh.0 and thought it related to what we discussed in class about how everyone dies at some point, and that we shouldn't concern ourselves so much with death, but rather focus on a fulfilling life. Even though we only had one day of class, that short period of time changed my opinion of the way I view death, simply because I agree that we should focus on the enrichment of our lives. I look forward to open discussions and learning more about death and dying.
I saw this video on Tosh.0 and thought it related to what we discussed in class about how everyone dies at some point, and that we shouldn't concern ourselves so much with death, but rather focus on a fulfilling life. Even though we only had one day of class, that short period of time changed my opinion of the way I view death, simply because I agree that we should focus on the enrichment of our lives. I look forward to open discussions and learning more about death and dying.
A Work of Edvard Munch
This painting was done by Norgewian artist Edvard Munch in 1897 and is entitled The Dead Mother and Child. The painting reflects a typical 19th century deathbed scene. Munch also painted the work that is on the cover of our textbook.
The Famous Engraving of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington
This is the famous engraving by John Sartain, entitled Abraham Lincoln, The Martyr Victorious, from 1865. The artwork depicts George Washington welcoming Abraham Lincoln to heaven.
Humorous Epitaphs from Actual Gravestones throughout the world
From a cemetery in Ruidoso, NM:
Here Lies
Johnny Yeast
Pardon Me
For Not Rising
From a cemetery in Uniontown, PA:
Here lies the body of
Jonathan Blake
Stepped on the gas
Instead of the brake
From Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, AZ:
Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More
From a cemetery in GA:
"I told you I was sick."
From Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA:
She always said her feet were killing her
but nobody believed her.
From a cemetery in Thurmont, MD:
Here lies an Atheist
All dressed up
and no place to go
From a cemetery in Ribbesford, England:
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife
And the devil sent him Anna
Here Lies
Johnny Yeast
Pardon Me
For Not Rising
From a cemetery in Uniontown, PA:
Here lies the body of
Jonathan Blake
Stepped on the gas
Instead of the brake
From Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, AZ:
Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More
From a cemetery in GA:
"I told you I was sick."
From Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA:
She always said her feet were killing her
but nobody believed her.
From a cemetery in Thurmont, MD:
Here lies an Atheist
All dressed up
and no place to go
From a cemetery in Ribbesford, England:
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife
And the devil sent him Anna
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)