Through the Valley

I asked you not to use the word "zombie". It's disrespectful. Stumbling around squawking for brains? That's not how they do. And "undead"? Nobody wants to be "un"-anything. Why begin a statement with a negative? It's like saying, "I don't disagree." Just say you agree...You're either living or you're dead. When you're living, you're alive. When you're dead, that's what you are. But when you're dead and then you're not, you're alive again. Can't we say "alive again"? Doesn't that sound nice? - Ned, Pushing Daisies 

It's unsettling that life has been so mired with death lately. Beyond my family's own situation over the last month, this past weekend was an odd recognition of life and death, the two constantly bound hand-in-hand. September 10 is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Day, a day sponsored by To Write Love on Her Arms. (If you're not familiar with the organization, as well as its story and its mission, check it out here; it's well worth a read on any day of the year). Sunday, of course, was Patriot Day, or for those of us who lived through it, just the date - September 11 - is enough because we will never forget.

Despite the potentially macabre cast of the past few days, I've been dealing in swirls of darkness for the last few weeks. Mom has made tremendous leaps in her physical recovery, leaps that doctors didn't expect her to make. Following the old adage of hoping for the best while expecting the worst, I'd update family and friends...and then begin preparing portions of a eulogy or the playlist for the service (lots of Petty and Seger, if you're interested).

And yet here we are: Mom's awake, alert, and raising hell for the nurses...and will celebrate her 61st birthday tomorrow. One month ago, I was standing in the ER receiving grave news as she was airlifted to another facility; today, I'm trying to decide what to put in this week's goodie basket other than pickles, pretzels, and Diet Pepsi. Oh, and if you think I'm exaggerating about the raising hell part, well, you know what they say about one picture and its thousand words...

It's true that we can't choose our family, and life and death are relatives to us all, the twins who don't always get along but are irrevocably linked to one another. Just like Grandpa puffing his cigar and making foul jokes or the crazy aunt who laughs a bit too loud when she's had a bit too much, Life and Death will always be around for the reunion. And just like those other relatives, they might be difficult or unwelcome, but they are part of the family...

...so Life and Death really are there all the time. Death is relentless and will find each of us eventually, and that's fine, because we all need an end to our stories. But Life, she can be shy...seek her out and spend each moment with her. After all, none of us know when she'll be ready to say good night, so be sure to hold tightly to her with your eyes wide open.

Dream big, friends.