Life's Fragility

As I hear the news of a 13 year old boy from my little cousin's school who died from a brain aneurysm last week, I am silenced. My words, even if they are many, are really few. 

We were celebrating my aunt's birthday this evening and as the topic of conversation turned to the fate of this poor boy, all I could think was how truly fragile life is. In a moment, everything can change, everything can end... 

We might be tempted to say, "Well, if life is so fragile, then let me take every means possible to ensure that I am 100% safe, that my life is secure". Then the incessant check ups at the doctor begin, the paranoia that every little ailment is a possible death sentence. Then begins the dying...because we stop truly living.

Yes, life is fragile. But as our eyes are opened to this reality, instead of grasping at life to try to safeguard it, we should begin to truly live. No half measures, no talk of what you wish you could have done, "if only..."--no more of that. Begin now, start living, wake up to life. Then life's fragility will not frighten you or keep you bound in a frantic obsession to govern it and control it. Instead, embracing this truth will keep you always on guard to live, to truly live, to "stop and smell the roses"--literally.

"We will dance a little, laugh a little, love a little more." -For King and Country

Grace and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life...

photo credit: Marisel Rodriguez

ROCIO PEREZ