I've loved this poem for a long time. Linda Pastan's idea of an “Almanac of Last Things” inspires me in a way that "bucket list" does not!

I know some people object to the idea of contemplating the end of life, or of any sort of loss, before we get there. For them it drains the joy from the moment. For me, it's just the opposite. When I remind myself that there will be a last this and a last that, including a last breath, it deepens my appreciation for the present moment. It helps me "be here now" with attentiveness and gratitude.

I'm reminded of these lines from one of Mary Oliver's most-loved poems, "In Blackwater Woods:" "To live in this world/you must be able to do three things:/to love what is mortal;/to hold it/against your bones knowing/your own life depends on it;/and, when the time comes to let it go,/to let it go."

So what is a "last thing"? It's among the last things I want to give up. It's among the things I want to be holding with gratitude when my last moment comes. And because it's something I will need at last to let go of, it's important to appreciate it fully right now.

P.S. I chose the photo because the full moon and the ocean are in my personal Almanac of Last Things. Both of them say LIFE in a big way to me, and both are on the very long list of blessings for which I can only say a heartfelt "Thank you…"   by Parker J Palmer

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