We're All Going to Die, Do We Appreciate Living?

On Thursday night, Willi, the Frenchman with whom I had the pleasure of sharing swimming classes while I was in Venezuela in March, sent me a WhatsApp message, saying, "Ana passed away this morning." Do you remember the piece I wrote about Ana? The girl from room number 10.

Ana died after a battle with cancer. That night, I felt a whirlwind of emotions. The first thing that came to my mind was sadness and a sense of injustice, not understanding why? 13 years... A whole life... I thought about the other children I met in the hospital in Venezuela. I thought about someone dear I lost a few years ago, and she was 33 years old. I had so many questions, all unanswered!!!...

For those of us who shared moments with Ana, we knew her magic. She told me the first time I met her with unwavering calmness, "If you control your mind, you control your body," indicating that creativity and crafts helped her stay distracted and forget she was in the hospital.

That night, I did an exercise, changing the emotion of sadness to gratitude. I decided to connect with gratitude for the moments shared, the conversations, the invitation she extended to appreciate my body, life, the laughter we shared, the good times we had, and the connection we all formed as a family.

I'm sharing an audio I recorded for her from the hospital on the first day I met her; there's so much to learn...

This week, I've connected with death, one of the most certain realities we all face. We will die, and for some of us, this might seem sad or vitamin.

This week, I also watched a Netflix documentary recommended by several people called "The Deepest Breath," with a storytelling that invites you to reflect on dying while being happy, dying as our best version, deciding to live each day with purpose, as Stephen Keenan did.

This week, I've made room for several versions of myself to die. I've made a radical change in my home to open up new opportunities, let go of many things that were collecting dust in my closet, unused. I feel that I've accepted the death of one version of myself and that we are in transition to a new Amazonia, a new version that encourages doing everything with a sense of fun.

Thanks Emese for this fun moment together!!!! BIGGGGG HELP

After a therapy session that lasted an hour and a half with Catalina, I decided to bury a version of myself that no longer serves me, and I honor her for achieving so much, even though she weighed me down. People say that when something dies, there's a new birth.

How am I? In mourning and living to the fullest because I'm going to die, and I came to this life to evolve! I want to love, share and have fun, not miss the chance to show my love for the valuable people in my life. I'm grateful for breathing and having the opportunity to live, eager to travel light without carrying so much baggage because I want to continue exploring the world,culture, people and, one day, live by the sea. THANK YOU, LIFE, FOR THIS LIFE.

What is your relationship with death? Do you think about death? Do you feel an emotion when you mention this word? Is it easy for you to let obsolete versions of yourself die?

Naked Woman by Amazonia Arroyo