The Living~Dying Duet: A Big Release

Release From Habit and Release From Noise

My life has become a Living~Dying Duet. Ever since Early-Stage Dementia changed "the rules of the game" of how I live my life I've become much more aware of what my living is about, what my dying is about, and what the connection is between my living and dying.

One of the big impacts this awareness has had on me is that it has created a focus on what's really important to me. What do I value and want to spend my time on? And the opposite as well -- what "noise" is occupying space in my life that I would like to filter out? Taking these two sides together have allowed me to create new rules for my life, to design the life I want to live. What a release! This release allowed me to be more authentic to myself:

• Release from thinking so much and instead feeling more

• Release from norms that I've lived by and instead discover and do what's true for me

• Release from the noise of the surroundings and instead listen to my guts tell me what's authentic for me

• Release from habits and instead connect with what I love in my heart

• Release from things that close me up and instead have openness to express and to do what I am feeling.

This feeling of release is very active for me, to the point where in many situations I not only feel the release but also see the word "Release" floating in front of me. This is truly a Big Release, in many ways and from many things that I hadn't even realized were limiting me in how I was living my life. As with the Living and Dying, I'm particularly feeling this release knowing that the horrible condition of dementia is on its way — this makes the feeling of release even stronger.