Reflecting on “a purpose filled life”
Living a Purpose Filled Life: Meeting Death Alive was indescribably transformative, supportive, and joy filled. We contemplated the question "how do I want to keep living knowing this journey comes to an end?" near rushing waterfalls and robust healthy hemlocks, as students under blue and star studded skies. Meeting death was beautiful and terrifying. For some, funerals were so gorgeous they looked forward to dying. I heard whispers of people wanting to do this offering and funerals each year. New meaning and new ways to be with death were found but perhaps most importantly, we uncovered ways to live during our time here on earth and we vowed to life, to death and to the internal and external wild. Our joy poured out of us as we circled around the fire, played instruments with the fantastic teachings of Phillip, sat with our dreams over breakfast, and danced under falling leaves. Our curiosity, intuition and somatic awareness grew with each conversation with the more than human world, finding clarity with who we want to spend our time with, which places call to us, and which longings we will feed with the remainder of our time.
For me, I found I want to live my whole life like I only have 28 days left. I want to live out my last days in full presence. Those remembering me wouldn't question what I did with my life, or ask what I loved, or question what my soul wanted to share with the world. Instead, they will look across my life and find the meaning and love woven into my breath, my steps, and into my choices. They will say she taught us how she wanted to live on after her death by the way she lived her life.
Though our time ended and we closed powerfully, I can say with confidence we all will be transformed by our time together for years to come, perhaps up to the day we meet Death for our last time.
Madison