Carpe Diem
My mom died peacefully in August at the age of 91. She had a full life, one that was filled with family and friends, love and laughter and lots of beautiful memories. Recently, I attended a Service of Remembrance at the retirement community where she lived for almost 20 years. It was a beautiful service held in the chapel and it consisted of a mix of readings and songs. The most inspirational portion of the service was the roll call of the 28 souls who had died at the retirement community between March and September. Two readers took turns announcing each name as their photo, along with the date they were born and when they died, was displayed on the two video screens hanging on the wall.
Not only were the names read, but biographical information was shared about each resident, like where they were born, what schools they attended, their work history and how they spent some of their time here on earth. I loved hearing all the hobbies they were involved with like painting, cooking, fishing, biking and hiking. Some were collectors of coins and stamps while others knitted and liked working on cars. Many were involved with church groups and spent much of their time volunteering and giving back. The men and women who were announced that had spent time in the military seemed to have long lists of passions they pursued. I wondered if that military experience caused them to have a deeper appreciation of some of the simpler pleasures of life. My heart filled with pride when my mom’s photo was flashed on the screens and the reader let everyone in attendance know that Mom was named most “vivacious” in high school (Mount St. Joseph’s Academy) and that she loved cooking, watching golf on the weekends, rooting for the Phillies and traveling.
The service made me think about that great phrase – carpe diem. For all of you Latin scholars out there (even though I had three years of Latin in high school, I’m, no Latin scholar. Pig-Latin was more my speed…) the phrase translates to “Seize the Day!” Many people heard that saying for the first time in the movie Dead Poet Society. Actor Robin Williams, portraying a private school teacher, preached to his students (sometimes by standing on his desk) to seize the day and live life to the fullest.
I’ve written over 20 children’s books, chronicling the adventures of the Phillie’s mascot. They are fun to write and I usually try to sneak a lesson in there for the kids to learn. In one of the children’s books, The Phillie Phanatic’s Busiest Off-Season, I took a shot at extolling the virtues of carpe diem. In the book, the Phillies season is over and the Phanatic is spending a lot of time lounging around on his couch. One day, his mom, Phoebe, explains to the Phanatic that he needs to seize the day and make every moment count. Before long, the Phanatic is volunteering his time, visiting schools, hospitals, retirement communities and attending charity functions. By the end of the book, the Phanatic has made a lot of people happy and also feels better about himself, too.
As I sat in the chapel, listening to stories of the wonderful lives lived by the residents and reflecting on the Phanatic’s carpe diem motto, it re-emphasized how important it is to seize the day!