What a Life! for January 17, 2007-January 24, 2007

I experienced a spiritual retreat last month that I would like to recommend to my readers. First, I need to define the word “retreat” because different people use it in different ways. A spiritual retreat is a time to get away and to reflect on your own life and your relationships with God, others, self, and the world. The purpose is not to acquire more knowledge, but to meditate on where you are and where you are headed in life. An essential element of this type of retreat is an opportunity to be alone without too many distractions. It is also a time to unwind a little and “smell the roses.”

Most retreats have a retreat master to help stimulate the reflective process so a person can bounce off some objective material. However, the person making the retreat always does the “work.” The individual must be open to the mystery of God, God’s universe, and where they are on life’s journey.

The retreat I went on was unique because I didn’t have a retreat master. Yet, it was probably one of the best retreats I have ever experienced. I decided to meditate on death, my own death. I know this sounds morbid, but this is something that we Americans do not want to face n the fact that all of us are going to die. We put off dealing with it and sometimes we are too late. Death catches up with us.

Once we face our death, then we are free to live. So this is what I did. I spent three days alone planning my funeral, deciding what I wanted to happen to me if I become incapacitated and unable to speak for myself, and writing a will.

All of us should decide how we want to be treated when we become terminally ill n what kind of care we want to have. Also we have to decide how and where we are to be buried, whether our body or our organs and tissues should be donated, whether we want to be cremated or not, and what should happen to the worldly goods we have accumulated.

As part of my retreat experience I called the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency in Metairie (504-837-3355) and donated my organs and tissues to anyone who could use them. I also filled out a Living Will indicating the type of treatment I want to have if I am terminally ill and cannot speak for myself. I also appointed various people to carry out my wishes. I visited two funeral homes and discussed with the funeral directors the options I had for burial and what type of coffin I would like to purchase.

Lastly I wrote up a new will leaving my worldly possessions to the persons and institutions that are dear to me.

The whole process was a great experience. It made me think about who and what was important to me in life. It made me realize that some material things I value now are not that important in the end. It helped me to focus on what’s really important. It also helped me to make sure I was headed in the right direction on my journey to our loving God.

In the Adventure of Alice in Wonderland Alice asks the Cheshire Cat, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Many people are like Alice, not sure which direction to go. Facing our death can help us find that direction.