Graveyard Prep

Author Stephen Covey wrote a book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. One of the habits is, “Begin with the end in mind,” meaning, live your life the way you want to be thought of at your funeral. Deliberately shape your legacy. Live your eulogy.

I'm a better son, man, friend, husband, and father when I'm in last-day mode. It's hard to get there. My inner skeptic? The one who believes he's immortal? He whispers, “But you’re not dying today, so this is a silly exercise.” The bastard is convincing.

“You’re not dying today.”

I can intellectualize the fact that I have no idea whether it's true. There will likely be no discernible difference, between the day that I stop breathing, and the day before. No matter. I just sidestep my daughters' requests to go to the park, and resume cursing at a video game.

And then, one day, there will be that video game, and my empty chair.

One of the world’s few healthy obsessions, is the big picture.