Married to Amazement

From the Art of Life Tarot, Death (detail of Death and Life by Gustav Klimt):

Death twitches in my ear, "Live," he says "I am coming." ~ Virgil

I don't know what caused it, perhaps the deaths of my father and father-in-law, but years ago I started reading the daily obituaries in the paper to see if I knew any of the people listed there. Death has become a part of what I think about and plan for now, with Living Wills and cremation requests. As I look at Klimt's painting, I notice all the crosses on Death's robe and wonder if religion has fueled our fear of endings. I was brought up in a fundamental church that believed sinners would live in anguish for eternity in the bowels of hell; emphasis was definitely placed on the hereafter instead of the now. Although I don't subscribe to that man-made belief anymore and haven't a clue what comes afterward, I refuse to believe it is something gruesome. What I do feel is important is appreciating the present moment in front of me instead of worrying about the future. When my ending comes, I want to be able to say (in the words of Mary Oliver), "I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms."

From the Tao Oracle comes the card "Keeping Still:"

In Padma's book, she explains that many traditions use the mountain to symbolize the stillness of our Buddha nature. Just as the mountain rises above the valley below it, meditation can shift our attention away from the busyness of the mind and give us an objective overview. In this state, we can look without attachment to the comings and goings of life. Such detachment doesn't mean we attempt to distance ourselves from life; rather it gives us a chance to enjoy and appreciate it without trying to strangle it with our likes and dislikes. There will be happy endings and sad ones; either way training my mind to be still will help me deal with them.