Someone's Life Board

( I have whited out some parts to protect the privacy of this persons life)

As a volunteer for Hospice I have been making life boards for people. The picture above is a life board I have made for somebody. It is a wonderful yet strange experience. It is a thing for people that are going through the process of dying. A person's life is summed up with a few pictures and words. It seems very inadequate. But what else can be done? How do you summarize a person's life. And these boards are a reflection from other people. Somebody other than the actual person decides what is on it and somebody else puts it together.

So, every time I make a life board I think about my own life and what will go on it. What is the summary of me and my life. Interesting thing about this examination is that I still have the ability to affect the board. I can be a better person, kinder, and well you get the idea. I remember a quote from somewhere that said the thing that separates humans from all other creatures is the awareness of our mortality. I want to add to that. The difference between humans and all other creatures is that we gain the ability and desire to better ourselves because of our awareness of our mortality.