Remember the death experience I talked about a few days back? I know some people might feel uncomfortable talking about death all the time. However, events related to death are what help us realize that life is fragile, what’s truly important and to treasure what we have. Hence, I’ll just like to add on to the topic with this short post.

A Close Call with Death…
It’s interesting to note that many who go through near-death experiences return wiser and with a greater appreciation for life. Some even went on to achieve great things. Celebrities like Jane Seymour, Sharon Stone, Richard Lawson, Christopher Reeve and Meloday Gardot are some examples.

Jane Seymour is an award-winning English actress, well-known for her performances in Somewhere in Time, East of Eden and the Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman television series. When she was 36 years old, Jane suffered an allergic reaction due to an antibiotics injection. At the brink of death, she thought about how she would never waste another minute of her life again if she were given a second chance. After the incident, she began to cherish her life, treating every day as her last [1][2].

Ms Gardot, an American jazz singer, met with a traffic accident when she was 19. The accident left her with multiple head and spinal injuries, as well as a smashed pelvis. Bedridden, her unwavering heart helped her endure the years of painful therapy, which led to her eventual recovery. Since then, she began to indulge heavily in music, contributing to her current success [3].

Reeve, an American-born international star, famous for his portrayals of "Superman", was thrown off the horse during an eventing competition at age 44. The injuries inflicted were so great that he stopped breathing in the intensive care unit for three minutes. Though he managed to survive, the incident left him paralysed from neck down. After overcoming his near-suicidal depression, he lived on bravely and eventually founded Christopher Reeve Foundation. He was also the co-founder of the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. He passed on 10 Oct 2004, forever remembered for his courage and compassion [4].

A Penny for Your Thoughts…
We don’t have to wait for bad things to happen before we come to a realization. Stop and review your life if you haven’t done so. Don’t take life for granted. Treat yourself a little better and decide for yourself what you will like to do. And you don’t have to live by others’ expectation of you. Most importantly, be honest about your life.

References:
[1] “Near-Death Experiences”, CNN Larry King Live transcript, aired 23 May 2005
[2] “Near Death Experience Changed Seymour”, ContactMusic.com, 18 Jul 2008
[3] “Jazz singer credits near-death experience with her success”, 3news.co.nz, 22 Jun 2009
[4] Christopher Reeve biography, ChrisReeveHomepage, accessed 6 Jun 2010