I’ve spent the last few days with a fever and other symptoms that’s kept me from doing much. This isn’t common. I can rarely remember when was the last time I got sick. But every time it happens, I tend to think how incredible the human body is and that there is no quicker realization that I’m alive.
I usually try letting my body fight whatever I’m dealing with. No medicines, magic Chinese tea or herbs, or calling the doctor. Just dealing with it the natural way: resting and eating well. If I take a bunch of pills as soon as I’m feeling sick and don’t let my body to fight, then I will never know what my body is capable of when the worst of times come. Because it will surely come whether one wants it or not.
Sickness makes me be fully aware that I’m alive but could be gone at any moment. And that’s the beauty of life – the limited time we have on this planet. I’m also often reminded of the possibility of death throughout my reading of the Stoics. Memento mori, “remember that you will die” in Latin, is a phrase that drives me to live to my fullest.
I know it might all sound morbid, but it’s the reality of life whether we like it or not. So go out there, be kind, be brave, and enjoy life on your terms.
Richard Chan 