Remembering Heath

Heath Ledger’s death from what appears to have been an accidental overdose on prescription medication was not only extremely tragic, but should also serve as a reminder of the fragility of life itself. From all reports, he lived every day as if it were his last, and touched the hearts of all those who knew him personally and those who did not. While we mourn the passing of a life that had been taken far too soon, such was his talent on screen and his charisma, there is much a message about his life that we should all take away for our own consideration.

We should all live life and each day as if it were to be our last day on Earth. This idea is written time and again through many self help books and passed through as wisdom by word of mouth, but beyond the simple idea there is something far more complicated bound up in this phrase. Our time in this mortal coil is short, and none of us can predict when our clock will stop. Indeed, even the healthiest of us can suddenly pass away, while people who abuse our bodies live until they are 90. No matter what, we cannot control the date of our departure.

But that is not to say that we should abuse this time, by abusing our bodies by poisoning it, by not caring about other people and be abusive and focused on oneself, by being greedy and hoarding material goods to make us feel better, or any forms of activities that provide us with such short term sensations of pleasure. There is another saying that goes “At your funeral, what will you be remembered for?” This provides us with the second part of advice that complements the first provided here. Live life to the maximum, but also remember, in your wake, consider the first and foremost memory that people will remember you by. Thus, be generous and giving, honest and passionate, forgiving and just, redeeming and searching, understanding and knowing, thinking and serving, ultimately selfless and needless. The more that a life is lived while in the service of others without compunction or expectation, the more genuine rewards will come your way. Remember this: the people that are remembered and revered, and will be unendingly, are the ones that gave their life in the service of others. All others will fade away.

It is also important to emphasise the limitations of each individual as well, and not to cross that invisible line that compels us to stop. At the end of the day, our mortality is carried by the physical limitations of what the body and mind can handle. It is impossible, and even dangerous, to go beyond these limitations and rely on various stimuli (such as medication) to be able to maintain a normal routine. Reports coming in have said that Heath had medication to help him sleep, and that there was more than one type of drug at his side. If that were the case, then here is a case of reliance and dependence on various stimuli to maintain a normal routine. There are those that are much worse and have horrible addictions to horrendous drugs, but in a convoluted manner, both are very similar. Whatever the reliance or addiction is, there is a reason and cause as to the development of such a “need” in the first instance. The same goes for people who rely on such items to “party harder” or “go further”. That is not to say that the use of prescriptive medicine should be avoided, but they need to go hand in hand with understanding of why it had to come to using the drug in the first instance. For example, people that are depressed may be on anti-depressents, but the prescription is usually written by a psychiatrist and in conjunction with therapy. At the end of the day, if there is a problem, one needs to deal with it, not by utilizing something to reduce the impact, but to address the problem branch and root.

It seems sad then that Heath Ledger, prior to his death, lamented the fact that he did not see enough of his daughter, Matilda. If anything, his life imitated his art, especially in the movie Brokeback Mountain. Ennis almost didn’t have enough time to see his daughter get married, neither did he have the conviction to stand up for his personal loves, and sacrificed everything in the process. If anything, Heath may have loved his life, but he made sacrifices in it as well that were troubling him, such as a commitment to a family and his daughter. Mourn the passing of a person that has impacted on many, but also learn something from it and use their experience to grow from it, in every little way.