Today, Labor Day, is a national holiday in the United States. Many people have the day off from work, myself included, and this resulted in a three day weekend. A mini holiday of sorts. Over these three days I’ve slept more than usual and done very little outside of eating and relaxing. It has left me peaceful and emotionally full.
One of my favorite Buddhist monks, Ajahn Brahm likes to say that you have to learn to be a friend to yourself. In this way you can be truly happy no matter what situation you’re in. One way to be a friend to yourself is to listen to your mind and body. If they are telling you to sleep, then do so. If hungry, eat, and if thirsty, drink. These simple precepts can be very difficult to put into practice. I often find myself thinking that I am hungry, but I will get something to eat later in order to better organize my day around a certain schedule. This does a disservice to my body, in favor of adhering to some silly timeline that usually doesn’t really matter anyway. This weekend I more or less did just as I pleased, and I find myself in a much better place both physically and mentally.
I was reminded today about my grandfather’s death by a friend who is going through a similar process with a loved one. The period of time where I lived with him through his death is one that I will always cherish. Not only because it allowed me to know him better as a person, but because it forever altered my view on life and death. Mortality suddenly became very real. This realization didn’t come on an intellectual level, but an emotional one. I felt as though a thick layer of fog had been lifted from my view of life after he died – almost like a part of me had died with him, perhaps a bit of naivety. I hope that she can find what I did through her experience. The ending of a life has the potential to be a gift to all those whom experience it – making everyones life fuller.
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