Annabel was an elegant lady in her appearance, even in her early eighties — and had lived a remarkable life. Her husband had had a successful career and was well known and respected in his field of expertise. Together with their children, they had travelled extensively and had influential acquaintances.

Now, sadly, her life’s journey is beginning to be marked with impaired mobility and signs of dementia. For Annabel, life as it was in her younger years is fading away. 

As we age, our lives also begin to fade away in one or more of a number of ways. It can be the onset of a debilitating chronic condition, reduced mobility necessitating a walker or scooter, a terminal illness such as cancer or Parkinson’s, or a cognitive decline. Such is the reality of life.    

Let me stress that my writing about end-of-life themes is never intended to be morbid or depressing! Rather, I feel that if we can accept the likely reality of issues in our latter years, and live as gracefully as we can, we will live our days with greater peace, contentment, and even joy. Also, as much as possible, we can be better prepared for dying — and not fall prey to excessive fear, anguish, and trauma.

Now in my seventies, I recall the popular American singer Roy Orbison from the nineteen sixties. There was one song, released in 1987, that I have only recently discovered. It has a fitting title for this write-up — “Life Fades Away”. All our lives, and indeed all life in the flora and fauna surrounding us, eventually fade away, sometimes sooner than later.

With brutal honesty, Andrew Holecek in his book, Preparing to Die (2013), describes life fading away as follows: “Even before we enter the actual stages of dying, our body, and even our mind, starts to let go as we age. We lose our hair, our teeth, our vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, endurance, memory, and countless other physical and mental aspects of our form. We lose control, productivity, independence, security, dreams for the future, and even meaning.” 

If we’re sensitive to it, our life fading away prepares us for the inevitable end – whenever it comes. May we each live ready for that final moment – for taking our last breath – and die at peace, having reconciled with all of life. It’s important to remain as calm as possible in our final journey, and to maintain a peaceful, content, and positive state of mind because it is said that our final thoughts exert a powerful influence on our after-death journey.

And, in the meantime, if at all possible, may we cherish and enjoy the miracle of life we still have each day — and, if we can, do our best to help others and engage in, as much as we’re able, those activities that we love and find fulfilment in.

Alexander and Eva Peck (December 20, 2023)

P.S. For those interested, the following is a YouTube link for Roy Orbison’s song, Life Fades Away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWjB1X-cqsM

Photo below was taken at Cleveland Cemetery in Cleveland, Queensland, Australia. (Cleveland is an adjacent suburb to Victoria Point where the Renaissance Retirement Village is located.)

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