When I pass away, I won’t fret about my body’s fate; my family and the funeral staff will handle everything as best they can. They’ll undress me, wash me, dress me, and escort me from my home to my final resting place. Many will attend my funeral to bid me farewell. Some might even rearrange their schedules or miss work to attend the service, or as they call it nowadays, the “celebration of life.”
All my belongings, even those I was reluctant to lend, will be sold, given away, or destroyed. My keys, tools, books, shoes, clothes, hunting and fishing gear… all of it will find new homes or be discarded. And I’m confident that life will go on as usual. Just like in my old job, I’ve be replaced by someone with similar or better skills.
My possessions will be inherited by my loved ones, and I know I’ll continue to be remembered, judged, questioned, and criticized for both the little and big things I did in life.
People who only knew me superficially will probably say, “Poor guy, he seemed to be having a good time!”
My true friends will shed tears for a few hours or days, but eventually, they’ll find reasons to laugh again. Those “friends” who only knew me for partying or through online interactions will likely forget about me quickly.
My dogs will get used to someone else taking care of them. My photos might hang on the wall or sit on a shelf for a while, but eventually, they might end up tucked away in a drawer. And I’ll only live on in the memories of those who truly loved me.
Someone else will sit on my couch, eat at my table, and use my belongings.
The profound grief in my house will last for a week, two weeks, a month, two months, a year, two years… Eventually, I’ll become just a memory, and my story will come to an end.
I will have started a new chapter in my new reality, in the life after death. In that life, I won’t be able to take anything from here because all the things I valued in life—my body, beauty, appearance, last name, comfort, credit, status, position, bank account, home, car, profession, titles, diplomas, medals, trophies, friends, favorite places, spouse, family… none of it will matter anymore.
In my new life, all I’ll need is my spirit. And the only wealth I’ll carry with me is the spiritual fortune I accumulated while I was here. That fortune is built through a life filled with love for others and peace with my neighbours.
That’s why I strive to live fully and focus on finding happiness while I’m here because, ultimately, “From here, I won’t take what I have. I will only take what I gave.“
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