I recently finished The Geography of Bliss, a thought-provoking book that explores the relationship between where we live and how happy we are.
One of the questions author Eric Weiner shares: Where do you want to die?
Although the Brookings Institution says fewer Americans are relocating than in the past, many of us think nothing of moving across the country or around the world in the name of career, love or the pursuit of happiness.
I find the “hometown” question on your Facebook profile intriguing because different people interpret it different ways. Some list the place they grew up, others where they live now, some hedge and give both.
I answer the question “Where are you from?” different ways depending on the context. If we’re traveling, I take it to mean “Where do you live?” so I answer New York. If it’s a conversation here in NYC, I assume the person is asking “Where did you grow up?”
When I read the question, “Where do you want to die?’ it seemed to strip away that need to interpret or consider. It gets at the essence of where you feel most connected. It’s why Hospice patients often express the desire to die in their own homes instead of in a hospital.
I felt the answer to that question in my heart, instantly, deeply. I want to die in Michigan. It’s where my family is, it’s where I grew up, it’s where my mom is buried.
Where do you want to die?
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