I have been asked on quite a few occasions whether Angela was afraid to die. There were two things Angela was afraid of, things that simply come as unavoidable consequences of death. Neither of them were actually dying. Firstly, Angela loved getting things, love going places, loved living. You would say this about a lot of people, but trust me… she really did! For example, let’s say Angela was asked if she would like an ice cream for dessert. If she didnt feel like one she’d just say “no thanks”. But when someone else would reach in and get an ice cream, she’d stare at theirs (almost a death stare) and quickly change her mind. She never ever wanted to “miss out”, on anything, and I mean anything! In the weeks prior to her death she said she didnt want to die because she didnt want to miss out on all the fun things there are to be had, all the good and amazing things that life brings. How’s that for a sign that someone, who even in an awful battle, truly loved life and living?! Secondly, Angela was afraid of the natural devastation she would leave in the lives of those whom she loved, and who loved her the most. Always, even in all her sickest of times, Angela would think about other people and their needs. One day she knew that I was running on empty from an exhausting fundraising campaign. So she put aside a day where it wouldnt be about the campaign or going to hospital, she cancelled anyone popping over for coffee and set aside a day for me. She was considerate in everything. So what about death then? Of course she didnt want the act itself to be painful, and I don’t believe it was at all. As I said in my tribute to her, in the last year, Angela had stopped looking for the answers to life she so desperately sought. She had finally found the thing that quenched her insatiable thirst, and she was assured of where she was going. Death itself was not something she feared. Angela wasnt the most amazing person to ever have ever walked the earth, I know that. But her public battle with cancer allowed her to showcase what a truly incredible person she was - even to a non-totally biased person like me. I guess I wonder how our lives stack up against an example of someone like this? Are you loving life that much? If not, why not? Are you as thoughtful about those around you, placing your needs second when it’s necessary to do so? Yea, this silly mantra came to me one night and Ive repeated it ad nauseam, but it is so right, this is what it’s all about… Be Better, Love Better
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:35:00 +0000
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