Spring 2020

Someday I hope you get the chance...
To live like you were dying
Most of us, when we’re young,
prefer not to think about our
eventual death. We are aware
in some sense that this life has
to end at some point, but it’s a
long way off, and what good is
to be gained by dwelling on it?
Some of us live so close to
death that its familiarity forces
us to face its implications, and
we are surprised to discover
life can be even more fulfilling
when we make peace with that
knowledge, because it forces
you to re-order priorities and be
more purposeful while you live.
Such is the story of Bronnie
Ware, a palliative nurse who
tended to the care of dying
men and women in hospice.
Certain patterns began to
emerge as she became friends
with hundreds of elderly
patients facing their final curtain.
She collected her findings
and published them in a book
called The Top Five Regrets of
the Dying.
Reading this book has
been life-
changing for my wife Betsy and
me. We recently celebrated
our 25th wedding anniverary,
and that, along with numerous
other milestones we’ve recently
passed, has put us in a frame of
mind to assess our priorities. I
find myself squarely in the middle
my life expectancy. Knowing the
common regrets of folks at the
finish line is helpful to see what
adjustments, if any, I should be
making to avoid having those
same regrets as I round the final
curve on my way to eternity.
We’ve all heard the familiar saying
that nobody ever said on their
death bed, “I wish I had spent
more time at the office!” In fact,
that sentiment is number 2 on
Ware’s list of regrets.
A list of top 5 regrets appears on
the opposite page.
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