Remember
to Live, and Remember to Give
I first addressed a patient care
organization known as the PEP
Pioneers, organized by Mary Burns at Little Company of Mary Hospital, in
March, 1983. The title of my presentation was, "Remember to
Live".
I encouraged all persons, young or old, with or without any disease or illness, to pursue life to the fullest, and to enjoy each day for what it would bring. I advised against being timid, and encouraged "age without abdication". Today, my message repeats this advice and asks everyone to remember to give.
I attended the first rally of this type in 1985. Then, my topic
was:
"Humor for the Health of it". I pointed out how humor
relieves tension, eases breathing, lowers blood pressure, stimulates appetite
and sleep, and simply makes us feel better. All humor takes is time, and
it certainly is
not toxic.
Today, I would like to make a comment
about disease. A disease is an alteration in the structure or
function of an organ system, which may or may not produce symptoms. By
contrast, illness is the impact of a disease on the person's quality of
life as a result of the symptoms, the limitations that the illness imposes, and
the treatment that is required.
Beyond disease
and illness, there is the predicament that illness creates. Often the
predicament results in pain. It is interesting that the first of the four
basic truths of Buddha is, "Life is suffering". Senecca,
the Greek
philosopher, said, "And what will amaze you more throughout the whole of
life is one must learn to die". We all know that death is a
natural end of the human spirit as we know it, yet we know that it is
inevitable. We are born
and we die, but hopefully, we can get through life without undue
suffering.
When suffering comes, and can be accepted, it ceases to be suffering. It
often yields to joy.
Benjamin Franklin said, "Those
things that hurt, instruct." This
emphasizes the fact that because of problems, we learn and grow both mentally
and spiritually. I cannot separate the two. When patients learn to
face problems, they no longer dread them. As each problem is solved, life
becomes enhanced. If you cannot face death, you cannot live. Death
is simply the flip side of life. You cannot die if you were never
born. But, once you are living, it is important to learn, to grow, and to
enjoy.
No one can exactly predict the future
such as how long we will live.
One of my favorite psalms, number 90, goes, "The days of our
lives shall be three score and ten years. But if by reason of strength,
they may be four
score years". Then the psalm goes on, "And then the
spirit doth takes wings
and flies away." This is where "passed away" came from.
As Jesus said to Nicodema,
"Just as you hear the wind, but cannot
tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the spirit."
The word spirit comes from the Greek, "spirue", which literally
means
"breath". Thus, we have "respiration",
"inspiration", and "spirometry".
"Expiration" at the end of life promises the transition of the spirit
in a new realm of experience. Whether or not you believe in a
spiritual future,
you have already spread your spirit by working, playing, loving, and
living.
You have extended yourself to your family, and to your friends.
Not everyone at the Rally may have
had an opportunity to make a major contribution to science, music, art,
literature, business, medicine, or law. But, everyone can make a special
contribution which will enhance society through support of the Respiratory
Research Chair and it's first recipient, Richard Casaburi, Ph.D., M.D. The
Chair honors two great people: Alvin Grancell and Mary Burns. Both Alvin
and Mary are spiritual people. Both have suffered great losses and pain,
as I have. But, we have all weathered the pain, and have grown to be
better people, and to make greater contributions to society.
So, my plea to everyone at the rally, and to everyone who reads this
newsletter, is to please make a contribution to the PERF and to the Chair which
these donations will fund. Remember to live and remember to give.