Every Last Day

It is an aphorism of the young and enthusiastic to "live each day as if it were your last" and though I understand the impulse, I think it is misguided.

Or at the very least, a misuse of language.

When we are encouraged to live each day with the urgency of imminent and predictable death we are thought to be freed from the constraints of respectability, prestige, security, and general meaning/purpose. If we do not have to worry about tomorrow, we are freed to do anything. If we are not paralyzed by fear and reasonable-ness we can embrace risk and revel in the moment, living our lives to the fullest.

But of course--not. Living with such a lack of restraint is impossible for the vast majority of people and it seems rather cruel to pretend otherwise. To "live life to the fullest" ignores the predictable and entirely understandable anxieties and pressures we have placed on us--to abandon these responsibilities would be selfish and immature. People rely on us and compromising for their sake is nothing to be ashamed of.

Yet even beyond the practical realities that restrict our ability to treat each day as our last, I take further issue with the notion because it seems myopic and unrealistic. Regardless of how carefree and reckless we may be inclined to be, (almost) no one would choose to spend their last day on earth sky-diving or swimming with sharks. No one would do "that thing" which they'd always been dreaming of if they knew death were just around the corner. I am inclined to believe that almost everyone would search out those they love and spend the remaining hours with those nearest and dearest to their heart. 

Since we cannot live each day as our last--neither in extravagant self-indulgence nor in exclusively tender company--does this still qualify as sage advice? Why does such an obviously flawed idea still have staying power? I think the truth being grasped at here is about presence, about being open and available to the everyday. We cannot (nor should not) live each day as if it were our last--the consequences of tomorrow matter and they should always be considered--but we can open our eyes and see a bit more of the world, see the remarkable gift that living can be. I don't want to live each day with death in mind but I think it is a worthy goal to see the world with dying eyes, to treat each moment as precious and lead a life of joy and gratitude. I plan to live each day as it comes but I hope to never take those days for granted; today could be my last day, and how lucky I am to see it.