memento vivere,(latin) /məˌmɛn(t)oʊ ˈvivəri/ - "remember to live" and its popular antithesis memento mori /məˌmɛn(t)oʊ ˈmɔri/ - "remember your mortality" both convey a similar point and reminder—appreciate your life—because it will end.

i like this phrase, because firstly it conveys an undebatable and unmoving fact of the universe, for everything. yet, a fact of life not many seem to truly grasp. many go about their everyday lives, taking everything for granted e.g. internet, clean water, someone who loves them. everything is fragile, and nothing is guaranteed.

to some, this reminder is depressing. to others, it is a gentle reminder to live life a little fuller, a little more intentionally.

i’m in the camp of appreciating the sentiment. we can die at quite literally any moment. for a slew of random reasons. for me, this realization isn’t paralyzing. it’s freeing. knowing life is uncertain doesn’t make me want to curl up in fear; it makes me want to savor everything more. love deeper, sense stronger, do more while i can. it reminds me to say “i love you” more often, to take chances, to not waste time on things (or people) that bring me down.

it puts things into perspective: all the small annoyances, petty arguments, the fear of embarrassment— none of it really matters in the grand scheme of things. what matters is how we spend our time, who we spend it with, and being present in our lives.

i will never be a millionaire, i won't drive a porsche, or live in a luxurious estate. i won't be a ceo or an a-star celebrity and i'm okay with that. i'm not the type of person to break my back and suffer and struggle for material gains. i cannot take money or material things with me when i die (which, again, could be whenever), so what difference does it really make at the end of it all if i'm comfortable in a smaller home and with a smaller salary? if instead of working overtime, i'm spending time with family. that instead of suffering, i ate cupcakes with my friends, laid on the couch watching a comforting show during a rainy summer evening?

enjoy life. appreciate all the good that is here, and there is a lot of it, if you can read this.

memento vivere and memento mori are two sides of the same coin; like yin and yang. one reminds us to cherish life, the other reminds us that it will end. but together, they create a powerful call to action: live fully, love deeply, and don’t take good things for granted.

- e.d.