My son asked me this evening how I would spend my time if I knew I had just one week to live.

On a mountainside, I said, or by the sea. With my closest family, and with my dearest friends. No question.

The conversation reminded me that very few of us ever discover in advance which is to be our last week. And we don’t get to find out which parts of life are actually the important parts, perhaps until they’re done.

And how important it can be to live, in each of our day-to-day choices, in the full knowledge that all this is the case, for all of us.

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For a wonderful book on this topic see ‘A Year to Live‘ by Stephen Levine, a wise and courageous man who learned much about life through his dedication to supporting people in death. The book describes an experiment in conscious living – as if there are only 365 days left to go – and is beautiful, profound, and practical.

Photo Credit: Hans J. Hansen via Compfight cc