Life is a Fragile thing

Image from FlickrLife and Death are two interesting concepts. Of course they are more than concepts, they are also bounded by two rules; to have life is to live, to be in death is to have died. Such simplicity however is problematic because Life like Death is a fragile thing. When we forget to remember that, we take for granted our own fragile state and that of those around us.

We live in a fast paced world which we are told is a positive thing and something which we have to embrace with both hands because if we do not, then we will be left behind. Yet in the embrace of a fast paced life, we suffer casualties in our lives. Sometimes this means that the development of the self and thus one's life is ignored in the pursuit of the next night out, the next Car, the next Job, Always searching for Bigger and Better. Then something happens in our bigger and better lives and we need to rely on our underdeveloped selves. Sometimes we continue onwards and cope and "get on" with our lives but with a recognition that Life is a fragile thing. Sometimes we cannot cope, but we use our network of friends and family to support us and help us get through. Sometimes we need to talk and express ourselves. All of these If's and maybes all hopefully, contribute to the development of one's self and thus the expression of one's self in life. Sometimes though this is not enough. If we don't know that we are loved or that we forget from time to time about our network of friends and family, then Sometimes the fragility of life gives way to the fragility of death.

It is this movement from Life to death, that the fragility of both actions are most illuminated. In Life we celebrate with the person their achievements and they celebrate with us in their lives. They show us laughter, happiness, decorum, bad jokes, bad decisions and we revel in these because they all form a mental picture of the person and help us in our development. In Death, we celebrate their life and contribution to the world and reminisce with the memories we have, however short or fleeting their life may have been.


We may never understand how or why Life transfers to Death. We may never understand what appear to be 'untimely' deaths either. We simply cannot, just the same way as we cannot understand every single human emotion outside of our own experiences. We can try but we can never fully understand. That is Ok. There is nothing wrong with that. We must however learn to engage with our Friends and family. We must talk to them and express our fears, anxieties and our Hopes and goals. When we do this, we are living our lives and we are embracing its own fragility.


Michéal, go and Rest now. Be at Peace and remember us as fondly as you will be remembered. Oh and no matter where you are, Nothing will ever help that Clare team win an all-Ireland. :-).