"I have this app on my phone that reminds me five times a day, randomly, that I’m going to die."
Wow! I took a deep breath and kept reading! Gwen continues:
"This might sound morbid, but I don’t experience it as dark or sad, and it also doesn’t inject some kind of urgency or busyness into my life. Instead, this sometimes gentle, sometimes humorous, and sometimes jarring reminder gifts me with an attitude of lightness towards things that are inconsequential (who cares if I spilled the yogurt on the floor?) and some gravitas towards things I really do care about (how precious to have this moment outside, walking my dog).
"It sprouts a question within me: what’s the most powerful thing I can be doing right now? Sometimes the answer to that is resting or doing the dishes. Sometimes the answer is spending time with others visioning our nonviolent future. It’s another way of asking this question from Mary Oliver, 'What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
"As I write this, those close to me are mourning several lost lives. Our lungs are recovering from a week of smoke from wildfires. We are all living within the context of loss and harm from systems of oppression. And we are still mourning the loss of Arun. Our lives and this moment are one of a kind. Knowing this impermanence, what will I / you / we do?
With you in community,
Gwen"
The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence is a nonprofit that equips people to use nonviolence to create a sustainable and just world for all. The Gandhi Institute collaborates with local organizations, academic institutions, students, and committed peacemakers in the following areas: Nonviolence Education, Restorative Practices, Environmental Sustainability, Racial Justice.