"REMEMBER you must die." is the direct and rather honest translation of the Latin phrase, Memento Mori. It reminds us of the inevitability of death and that it will come for us sooner or later. No one knows when, how, or why. But it will remain as a lingering thought in the back of your mind that will come to haunt you when you are down when you don't feel like living, and when life has hit you at your lowest. You might think I’m quirky for using a Latin phrase as the title of my article, and you may even think that this is such a depressing starting paragraph for an opinion article—and you’re right. But please, hear me out.

     What exactly does a human being go through when it is a dear loved one that passes away? We feel grief, of course. Everyone does. When we lose someone we love, it feels as if a part of us dies with them too. First, we feel shocked and in denial, then anger comes to make things worse. Acceptance will eventually come to us soon, but sometimes it doesn’t. I hope it did. But it doesn’t happen in a snap. I've felt that terrible feeling for each year of my college life. I’ve lost someone important to me. It isn’t easy having to go through each stage of grief constantly and having your academics in the way of having time to properly heal. In fact you have to move on rather quickly. 

     Experts say that all you have to do is breathe deeply, shake your head, and walk away thinking you’ve moved on from a loved one’s death, be productive, and feel better, bounce back to your old self, and just quietly proclaim to yourself that it is what it is. That’s life, I guess. It’s cruel, unfair, and fast-paced… but it is also beautiful.

     That is where Memento Viviere comes in.  It comes right after Memento Mori because its meaning is the exact opposite of it, “Remember to live.” It is a reminder that even though death is inevitable, life is still worth living. It motivates us to treasure every moment, to make the most of our time, and to live a life filled with newfound purpose. Our loved ones who have passed would want that for us too. To live a not necessarily perfect but fulfilling life despite the constant reminder that we will pass on eventually. 

     However, I don’t want to focus only on the sunshine and rainbows of our existence because that would be promoting toxic positivity. I wholeheartedly believe that having a fulfilling life also means that there will be times when you will be down and that it is okay not to be okay. After all, being fulfilled means experiencing a range of emotions, whether good or bad. We need to feel them in order to be complete.  

     When we look at it from a bigger perspective, maybe grief is not something to be moved on from but rather something to be carried with us. The idea that our loved ones are always with us. Maybe the true meaning of life lies not in its relentless and cruel pace but in the peaceful moments we have with people around us, the shared laughter with our friends, bonding with our family, honoring our loved ones, and the love that endures even in the face of loss.  

     Memento Mori reminds us of our mortality, urging us to seize the day and make the most of it because time is not always in our hands. Memento Vivere teaches us to live our days fully, with open hearts and a deep appreciation for the gift that is the life given by God.