Stay Safe
Recently I read this quote:
“If you want to keep living a good and full life, you cannot keep asking, ‘Is it safe?'”
“Stay safe!” seems to have become the mantra these past few years. After hearing it multiple times a day in 2020, I began to seriously ponder that thought. I know what the intent is behind “Stay safe,” and it’s sincere, I get that, but is it really how we’re supposed to live life? Should safety be our main goal and is avoiding danger and risk the means to a fulfilled life?
I guess I especially reflected on all of this because my husband was a risk taker. He not only chose to be a logger which is considered the #1 most dangerous occupation in the US, but he also had a “go for it come what may” mentality and liked trying risky feats, in general.
In the end it was his risk-laden occupation, logging, which took his life.
So now in retrospect, do I wish I would’ve convinced him to pursue another occupation…a safer one? Do I look back on all his ventures, some of which came up short, and regret not imploring him to just be more conventional and follow the more sure and secure path in life?
Not. For. One. Minute!
You see, I’m a risk taker, too, but Nathan more so than I, so I wrestled at times being at peace with some of his decisions. Long before he died, though, I made a very intentional choice to express my feelings about his risks, but not limit him. My desire when he reached the end of his life was that he would feel satisfied knowing he got to try everything he wanted to try. I wanted him to look at me and smile knowing I trusted him and never held him back.
As a result of that choice, I look back on our life now and feel like we packed four lifetimes into one! We had so many joys and sorrows, victories and defeats….so many experiences together. We learned and grew through them all!
Yes, I do wish we could’ve had more adventures together, but I don’t feel shortchanged.
Hellen Keller sums up my feelings well:
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold…Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To..behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable!!” ❤️
