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Poet and Buddhist teacher Norman Fischer goes right to the heart of the matter regarding life-and-death during an interview with author Victoria Jean Dimidjian in JOURNEYING EAST. Victoria remarks on a comment Norman made about facing his mortality every day: "You're describing a way of living that acknowledges that death is already here."

"Right," Norman avers. "Because that's what time is, right? Time tells us that there is death every moment. And it's wonderful to live that reality. . . . To me that's the deepest satisfaction, when you are truly aware of death, it's a serious and deep encounter with life."

A serious encounter with life. How many of us encounter life with any seriousness? Life too often feels so difficult, so stressful, so painful, that we turn turn to a myriad of escapes as often as we can. But, to run away from life, because it is hard, is to turn one's back on the treasures of life, as well. I want to leave this world brimming over, not with things but with the love and tenderness, the wholesomeness and beauty that exist in great abundance right alongside the heartaches and sorrows.

not waiting
for a friend's diagnosis to say
I love you