LIVE Doing What I Love

I had been following the story of Canadian freestyle skiing sensation Sarah Burke with interest since her accident the day we began our trip up to Alaska. I was extremely saddened to hear of her death earlier this week. A loss of a truly inspirational human.

I have seen it said in many articles and commentaries about her death that 'at least she died doing what she loved'. Respectfully, I don't buy it.
I don't want to DIE doing what I love, I want to LIVE doing what I love.

I believe that most people with true passion in their lives - and I don't mean passion that has to be dogsledding or freestyle skiing or anything that dramatic, but passion for your family, your loved one, stamp collecting, biking, running, or tiddlewinks want to be able to indulge in their 'passion' for as long as they can. I know I do.
Don't misunderstand, I'm not in any way, shape or form suggesting that Sarah Burke or others that 'died doing what they love', were at all reckless, life has risks, all kinds of risks. Sitting on a sofa has risks.
All I'm saying is that even those of us that take more then the 'normal' risks in life often do it as carefully and as thoughtfully as we can - because we don't want to 'die doing what we love',  we love doing what we do and want to keep doing it. 

And as for how I'd like to die, well I'd like to die in a rocking chair at a ripe old age knowing that I have eeked every adventure and wonderful moment out of life I possibly could have.

My deepest condelenses to the family and friends of Sarah Burke. I wish she could have lived many, many more years of adventure.

Karen