Learning About Life from Those Facing Death

If there exists one experience that, throughout history and around the world, binds mankind together, it is death. Death is something we all must face - no exercise or diet regimen, no medical wonders, no amount of money can avoid it. It is the great equalizer. The finality of death, coupled with the uncertainty of an afterlife, results in fear for many.

Anyone who knows someone facing cancer knows the emotional roller coaster involved. Despite their sometimes dire situations, some patients are amazingly free of anger. They appear to be facing down the specter of death with the anxiety one might experience on a first date.

While some seek solace in their faith, others find their peace by listening to friends and acquaintances. These interactions can help to foster a deeper understanding of the world around us. Relationships can truly make all the difference in our everyday lives. Important lessons for the living can be learned from those facing death.

"Life happens now and it can be lost in yesterday or misspent waiting for tomorrow," says Dr. William E. Hablitzel, author of Dying Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me: Stories of Healing and Wisdom along Life's Journey (Sunshine Ridge Publishing, 2006). "Most of us take comfort in the routine and the familiar. But uncertainty can be very good and valuable for our lives."

The true stories in his book are gleaned from the lessons he has learned from his own patients. Caring for his patients in hospitals and even in the back of ambulances, Dr. Hablitzel has found lives stripped to their very essences. From that essence, wisdom and insight has emerged.

A desire to share these life-transforming lessons with others energized the creation of Dr. Hablitzel's work. He considers his patients to be his teachers and he hopes to share these important insights with the world. "In the lives that surround us can be found great teachers of happiness, health, and wisdom," says Dr. Hablitzel. "They are the teachers that we are seldom aware of, lost in the dramas of yesterday or our plans for tomorrow. Through the awareness of the present moment, and seizing it, these teachers can become part of our lives. Their lessons can help make life extraordinary."

Dr. Hablitzel urges people to embrace the special moments that happen daily in our lives. "We are often so busy making a living that many of us, perhaps most of us, have forgotten how to live," he says. Perhaps it is time for all of us to really listen to the many great "teachers" that we interact with every day.