Memento Vivere - Remember you must live. I just discovered this counterpart to the all familiar Memento Mori - remember you must die. The later A common phrase seen on grave stones and numerous other funerary artifacts. It is the stark reminder of our mortality, that our days are limited, and we all ultimately have an expiration date.
At the surface Memento mori flirts with nihilism - nothing matters, for we will all die and all our accomplishments will eventually vanish into the heat-death of the universe. But dig deeper and you hit the crux of existential meaning: life is fleeting, every decision is important by virtue of the fact that we can only make them once. Our solitary life is all we have, so make the best of it.
But memento vivere speaks to me it’s a more direct affirmation - particularly now in these pandemic times when it seems most of our lives are dedicated simply to survival. Shelter in place, avoid other people, stock up on supplies, and devise strategies to defend yourself against disease and political unrest.
Personally, I need this motto now - Remember to live. Confronted with my own mortality I feel myself getting older, being less active, less motivated. Each doctor visit brings me a new procedure, a new drug, a higher dosage, not to mention follow-up appointments to perpetuate the cycle. My brain is often stuck in survival mode, on autopilot, failing even to recognize this mid-life cliché.
Now, more than ever, it seems important to remind myself to live, to find pleasure in my experiences, indulge my curiosity, and not just perform the same routines, habits, and rituals - avoiding death - Memento Mori.
As a self proclaimed hedonist, it seems the counterpart makes for a better mantra - Remember you must live - Memento Vivere.
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