Before her death in June last year, Helen Dunmore wrote the article facing mortality and what we leave behind. Dunmore and her characters remind me how ordinary people live extraordinary lives. There are those who are recorded in history books. Then there are people like you and me. We are all unique and special. We have experiences and stories told in diaries, photoes and snippets over Sunday family dinners.
Her death from cancer also nudges us to take a step back and consider who we want to be and how we want to live our lives. What do we want to be remembered for? What if our time runs out when we turn 64?
A powerful article I read years ago written by a palliative nurse, Bronnie Ware, identified the top five regrets of the dying. It is essentially about following your dreams, investing in your happiness, family and friends. In a world which is about staying connected and the ease of travel, it is funny how little time we truly spend with those we love. We have all these time saving conveniences but less time to truly be happy and achieve what we really want in life. What is holding us back? How can we change this?
Many years ago, I attended a workshop taught by Helen Dunmore. She was a warm and kind woman who inspired me with her novel about mermaids and mermen. I love that she wrote for children and adults in different genres, and she was a poet too. Helen Dunmore - thank you for your great contribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment