Those weeks before diagnosis can be among the most torturous times. There is a reason you're called a patient once the plastic bracelet goes on.
David RakoffRead
Fantastic days are what you wish upon those who have so few sunrises left, those whose lungs are so lesion-spangled with new cancer that they should be embracing as much life as they can. Time's a-wasting, go out and have yourself a fantastic day! Fantastic days are for goners.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote encourages us to cherish life and create meaningful experiences, especially for those facing terminal illness.
David Rakoff's quote reflects the urgency of living fully in the face of mortality. It highlights how those who are near the end of their lives, often burdened by illness, should be celebrated and surrounded by love and joy. In suggesting that we wish fantastic days upon them, Rakoff reminds us that life, though fleeting, should be lived with zest and appreciation, encouraging us to embrace every moment.
Themes
LifeMortalityCancerLiving FullyAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
Use the quote during a health awareness campaign to emphasize the importance of living fully.
More from David Rakoff
All quotes →Before I sat down and became a writer, before I began to do it habitually and for my living, there was a decades-long stretch when I was terrified that it would suck, so I didn't write. I think that marks a lot of people, a real terror at being bad at something, and unfortunately, you are always bad before you can get a little better.
David RakoffRead
Being a stranger was like being dead, and brought to mind how, in a book he had read that most folks misunderstood one common state: The flip side of love is indifference, not hate.
David RakoffRead
Similar quotes
Making a living and making a life sometimes point in opposite directions.
Pico IyerRead
I think a man can keep on drinking for centuries, he'll never die; especially wine or beer...I like drunkards, man, because drunkards, they come out of it, and they're sick and they spring back, they spring back and forth...If I hadn't been a drunkard, I probably would have committed suicide long ago.
Charles BukowskiRead
From our birthday, until we die, Is but the winking of an eye.
William Butler YeatsRead
If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion.
Robert M. PirsigRead
I'm blessed to be living this dream of writing and singing, but that's not the real dream I had. The real dream was to make enough money to take care of all the pain and suffering that my mother has been through.
Missy ElliottRead
Living is like working out a long addition sum, and if you make a mistake in the first two totals you will never find the right answer. It means involving oneself in a complicated chain of circumstances.
Cesare PaveseRead