On Life and Death

A sage of the past once said “First study death, and then study other matters”. Indeed the issue of life and death is an important topic that concerns every human being. The medical field itself, with the purpose of treating illness and prolonging life, is fundamentally on an ongoing search to solve the mystery of life and death. Death, this “mysterious unknown”, is something even closer at heart to people like me suffering from muscular dystrophy, as most of us might have come to terms with the issue of life and death at a very young age due to our condition.

I could still remember clearly on at least 2 occasions during my childhood that the doctors actually told my parents bluntly that I might not live a long life like any able bodied people. I supposed this is quite a shocking news to me at that time that it etched into my memory till now! But fortunately, till now my parents and I, I realized, did not really take the doctors’ words very seriously.

I still remember a good friend of mine once asked me this question: what kind of legacy do I want to leave behind in history after I die? Initially, I was quite apprehensive on how to answer him. I’m not someone famous or great. Who would be interested to know about my legacy? However, my friend corrected me. He said, history is not made up of only the famous or the great. It is the common people that created history. Without that, the famous will only be a façade.

It dawns to me that, I am someone of importance, or value too. Perhaps in our attachment to the mindset that living long is the deciding factor for a victorious life, we can be discouraged if someone we know or care for dies unexpectedly or doesn’t live a long life. We may become depressed, or even lose the will to live a fulfilling life due to this mindset. However, this is something very wrong. What’s important is not how long we live. Rather it’s how we live our life that’s most important. Death is not the end. Rather, death is the time we determine if we have live a life of no regret, a life of victory, a life of great value. And in order to do so, we should life each and everyday of our life with joy and fulfillment. And if we are able to do so, we don’t bring despair and sadness to others when we die. Rather, we are able to teach something very important to those who remain.

I believe that every one of us is born with a purpose. Perhaps we are born disabled. Perhaps we are facing many problems and sufferings during our journey of life. It’s precisely that we are going through all these, and overcoming all these, that brings a sense or purpose to our life. By reaffirming our sense of purpose for living, and not giving up in the struggle to lead our lives to the fullest, we are already creating the legacy of hope and inspiration to shine. And I personally feel that in order to achieve this sense of mission in life, we must probe into what death means to us. By not fearing death, by taking death in the positive light, I’m sure we will live the journey of life with value and joy.

Lastly, here’s a passage through my reading that sums up my sharing here: “The important thing is how deeply we can be aware of our personal mission. This is the standard that determines the depth and greatness of our lives. Being aware of our mission gives birth to strength and hope and becomes the driving force that enables us to move forward through life’s difficulties. Everyone has a mission in life. Not a single human being is without one. What determines the course of your life is whether you awaken to that mission or not.”

This article will be published in the next issue of M-Power, official newsletter for Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore