Advice you’ll give on your deathbed to your sibling

Sept. 10, 2007, originally uploaded by Eyelashez.

When life gives you lemons, squirt them in someone’s eye.[this_barb]

I found an interesting discussion in reddit [What would you tell a younger sibling if you knew you were to die soon?]. The original posters brother recently passed away, she started the post by saying the advice he had given her just before his demise:

I was 14, my brother was 18. We had an odd relationship. We wanted to know eachother but were pretty much poles apart and had very little to say to eachother.

I walked him down to the corner shop on his last trip out of the house. He had to rest a while before he could make it back up the road to our house, so we sat on the steps of the library. Whilst there, he told me he thought I was ‘going to be a really cool chick’. He told me never to settle for a man who didn’t recognise my intelligence and that boys would do/say pretty much anything to get into a girl’s knickers. He told me I should never sleep with (or get into a relationship with) a bloke who didn’t acknowledge that I was cleverer than him, and meant it – unless the bloke was obviously brilliant – or I was honestly just after a shag.

It shocked me – but – I think it was GREAT advice.

What would you tell your younger brother/sister if you knew you weren’t going to be around for long?

The below text is ripped from the post, I have put the usernames of the posters and the permalink to their posts also.

Nobody gives a shit. 99% of the people you see on the street will forget they ever saw you within seconds. They don’t care if you just farted, fell on your face, dress like an idiot, talk loudly, etc. It doesn’t matter. The 1% of the time it does matter, save your effort for that. Otherwise just remember that nobody gives a shit about you when it really boils down to it.[]

In your teens you worry about what other people think about you. In your 30s you stop caring about what other people think about you. In your 50s you realize nobody was ever thinking about you in the first place.[]

If, at a restaurant, someone is not kind to the waiter, they are not a kind person, period. Get the hell away from anyone who abuses their social status or authority.[]

You have two ears and one mouth: listen twice as much as you talk.[]

Never bother with anyone who doesn’t bother with you. If they don’t appreciate you they are not worth your time.
Only care about people’s opinions if they care about you and you care about them.

Never be afraid to offend people, they are not always right.

Never be afraid to be ridiculous. Always, always laugh at the world. And yourself.

And mistakes are not always regrets. [sonofman]

I would tell my brother that once he realizes that most of the world is either indifferent to/ignorant of your existence, life gets about a million times better. That there will always be shit he has to do, but he should really take the time to do the stuff he loves with the people he loves because THAT is what will keep him warm in his old age. That he should learn the female anatomy very well. That he should follow our mom’s advice because she knows us better than anyone and she is almost always right on. And that he should thank people often, even for little things. [JohnnyBsGirl]

I’d say “you may be wrong sometimes, but it doesn’t mean the world is right. Go learn as much as you can because you’ll get bored with life and lose purpose otherwise. Go balls to the wall everyday. You can never be too paranoid and try and not lose that appreciation for the mystery of life.” [Andoo]

My dad said this to me as a kid as I went onto my first intermediate ski slope: “If you think you’re going to fall, you’re going to fall”.[tells]

You’ll become my age one day and wish you never spent so much time in front of the t.v., computer, video games, etc. Become a lover of music, no matter the genre. Never complain, never explain. Cherish your relationships with your friends and family now because one day those relationships will be gone if you don’t.[curbstompery]

Try not to be hurt by words. But don’t ignore them if they come from someone who is worthy of your respect.[JackRawlinson]

Pain is inevitable – misery is optional.

Don’t feel guilty for things you have no control over, or for things you can’t go back and undo. Guilt will ruin you. Just make things right.

To a female sibling: learn about your own sexuality. Don’t depend on the guy to turn you on – learn what works and don’t settle for a lover who can’t or wont give you what you need. If you can’t be honest with them in bed, don’t sleep with them. [AMerrickanGirl]

”The things that matter most in our lives are our relationships with other people, and you can damage relationships with just a few words. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People at least once every six months for the rest of your life, and pay attention. The thing I regret most about my life is the list of relationships I’ve damaged over the years, though selfishness or foolishness or arrogance.” [rtb]

When you’re wondering what comes next in your life, don’t look to what your friends are doing, or what society tells you to do. Look into your heart and ask yourself what you want to accomplish. What matters most.

Don’t live your life in a particular way just because everyone else is. live it the way you want * becuase you want to*, and forget about how people may judge that.[HLHLHL]

Never stop laughing.

Stop every once in a while to examine your programming and the world around you. Take a reality check.[StormTheGates]

I recently told my sister this after my mom died. Sometimes in life when things are the darkest they could be worse. No matter how dark it gets the sun will rise again.[SortaKindaMAYBE]

Life is short. You have somehow randomly been chosen to play the role of brother, sister, father, mother, stranger or friend. However, this role is not you. And this role will change over your lifetime. Your only choice in life is to grow and live, or stagnate and die.

If you choose life, it means creating, if you choose death, it means destroying. The interpretation is up to you. Choosing life could mean procreating, passing your genes along, or producing some timeless piece of art or music. Choosing death could mean suicide, or killing others who have chosen life.

Your choice should not be based on what gives you pleasure, but what makes you find peace and joy.

Either choice is probably irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. But it is important that you make it.[SeattleTomy]