Food for Thought - A Life Well Lived

As a final year medical student doing my medicine rotation it was time for the mortuary rotation and so we went to the morgue to among other objectives observe autopsies. We were being cautioned at every step of the way as to how scary and "dangerous" the place was, not to mention the need to put on a nose mask (guess the reason).

These were fresh bodies (unlike the old and preserved ones I saw in my anatomy practical). These were bodies you could hardly tell if they were asleep or dead. The morgue was opened and I couldn’t stand the sight of dead and helpless mortals piled on each other. Then the mortuary manager said "that's for last night".

Let’s do a recap;  these were people who were once the Ahofe Patris, the Attah Millses, the Bill Gates of their families or better still the poor old rugged drunkard you passed by on the street the other day or even that lady/guy you've vowed never to talk to again.

I turned around in the autopsy room and several bodies were on the tables, but one that caught my eye was a 24 year old "fresh mother" (delivered few weeks ago) being cut into pieces. At this point I remembered my accident about a year ago and I thought to myself I would have been forgotten by now.

Yes! That's how it is; life moves on. At most a few weeks of mourning and that's it; life moves on! Trust me.

So now I ask the essential questions; has your life been well lived? Have you taken the pain to realize your purpose on earth or are you busy chasing the usual requirements that society sets for us; academics, wealth, fame and power? Remember success doesn't necessarily mean any of these, it means achieving your life's purpose. 

Talking about achieving your purpose, would you prefer to finish a fight as a winner but blind, with multiple head injuries, broken ribs or you would want to win an injury free fight, smiling?

What am I driving at? HAPPINESS! Yes, joy. In this world where doctors say even the water we take has elements predisposing us to cancers, if you are to die the next moment, would you say your soul has had enough joy? Or are you waiting to be told you have a cancer that leaves you with Just few months to live before you start giving yourself the best of treats?. If you are to breathe your last breath now, are you content with how happy you are or have been?

Experts say happiness is better when shared, and so when I talk of being happy. It includes your neighbors as well. 

Take it from me; it is a privilege for someone's joy to be dependent on you because it’s a long living legacy in their hearts, even when you are long gone.

Finally after this long article, remember you could breathe your last breathe at any moment, but before that ask yourself the essential question. Would you be like Paul in the Bible to say I've fought a good fight? And most importantly, ARE YOU HAPPY? Answer yourself.

Credit:

Henry Xorsenyo Kpeli

President, UG College Of Health Sciences Students Union (COHSSU)