I've enjoyed the majority of my life so far, against the odds,

And surprised myself and the watching god's as I wrote my story,

But the passage of my days was eased by learning one small phrase,

And repeating it to myself each day, "Memento Mori,

"Remember you must die,"  and that is why,

You must value every moment of the passing days,

It isn't always easy to be grateful, but you must try,

For the sands of time escape your hourglass in so many ways,

And only when you realise each second passes and never returns,

Will you understand the true depth of their value,

And only in the light of this bitter lesson learned,

Will you clearly see what truly matters to you,

And the best friend I could have in the world would remind me of this every day,

And when I get carried away with the minutiae of my story,

They would see all of my triumphs and failures and know exactly what to say,

And quietly lean in and whisper, "My friend, Memento Mori,"

"Remember, you must die, and this might be the day"

"Don't wallow in your shame or revel in your glory,"

"The only thing that matters in this game is how you play"

"And so I say to you this day my friend, with love, Memento Mori."