“One thing that has surprised Julie about going through the process of watching herself die is how vivid her world has become. Everything that she used to take for granted produces a sense of revelation, as if she were a child again. Tastes- the sweetness of a strawberry, it’s juice dripping onto her chin; a buttery pastry melting in her mouth. Smells - flowers on a front lawn, a colleague‘s perfume, seaweed washed up on the shore, Matt’s sweaty body in bed at night. Sounds – the strings on a cello, the screech of a car, her nephew’s laughter. Experiences - dancing at a birthday party, people-watching at Starbucks, buying a cute dress, opening the mail. All of this, no matter how mundane, delights her to no end. She’s become hyper-present. When people delude themselves into believing they have all the time in the world, she noticed, they get lazy. She hadn’t expected to experience this pleasure in her grief, to find it invigorating, in a way. But even as she’s dying, she’s realized, life goes on - even as the cancer invades her body, she still checks Twitter. At first she thought, why would I waste even ten minutes of the time I have left checking Twitter? And then she thought, why wouldn’t I? I like Twitter! She also tries not to dwell on what she’s losing. “I can breathe fine now, “Julie says, “but it’ll get harder, and I’ll grieve for that. Until then, I breathe.” LoveLifePleasureGriefDyingPresentTwitter Book:Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Source: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
“Well, sure, the vows say “in sickness and health” and “for better or worse” and all that, but that’s kind of like clicking okay to the terms and conditions when you download an app or sign up for a credit card. You don’t think any of that is going to apply to you.” LifeMarriageUncertainty Book:Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Source: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
