Lily and the Octopus

by Steven Rowley

you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there’s no time left over to embrace life.” He puts his hand on my shoulder and it is warm. “Don’t be afraid. That’s all I’m saying.” Kal’s right. I’m done being afraid. Having

think of Kal and the tipping point, the point where death is inevitable. Was he right? Is that tipping point actually birth, the beginning of life itself? We will lose everything that matters, or everything that matters will lose us. It is predestined, the nature of life. But I don’t tell this to Trent. I don’t

“Dogs are always good and full of selfless love. They are undiluted vessels of joy who never, ever deserve anything bad that happens to them. Especially you. Since the day I met you, you have done nothing but make my life better in every possible way. Do you understand?”

will love you forever. For the rest of my days and even all of the days after that.”

stand back just to drink it all in. If I had the ability to press a button and pause time and live in one moment forever, this is the moment I would choose.

The distribution of loss is inequitable. That’s just the way it is. That’s just the way the world works. There’s no one handing it out. There’s no one making sure everyone gets a fair share.

Everyone dies. Not everyone really lives. And then of Mel Gibson in the movie Ransom: Give me