"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver I first heard this quote about nine years ago. My infant daughter had recently died after three surgical attempts at saving her life were unsuccessful. Liza Jane took her last breaths seven weeks after her birthday. She knew my voice, her eyes could follow my face, and she was everything to me.
And so, death was so fresh to me when I first came across Mary Oliver's poem. Holding your child in your arms as they leave this world is a life altering experience. Life is so incredibly fragile. Only our heartbeat separates us from our ancestors. After she died, and I went through some serious grief counseling, I realized we basically have two options. We can either live like none of this matters, or we can live every moment to the fullest, as if our very lives depend on it. I have chosen the latter, and that has made all the difference.