Memento Mori
" Remember you must die"
Memento Mori is a Latin phrase that translates to “remember you must die.”
I first encountered this quote in a K‑drama titled In Your Radiant Season. At first, I wondered why someone would tattoo such terrifying words on their body—perhaps because they were depressed, or maybe as a reminder that they needed to die. But I was wrong.
I remember hearing a story from my relatives about a person who supposedly had the ability to see when someone was going to die. They could prevent it if the cause was a disease or sickness, but if it was a destined death, they could neither stop it nor tell you when it would happen.
Memento mori is simply a reminder that death has always been with us. We do not know when or how it will come, but eventually it will take our breath away.
It is terrifying to realize that death is always there, unavoidable no matter how much we wish otherwise. Sometimes it comes through illness, while other times it strikes suddenly through accidents or even murder. Those are the most frightening moments—when life ends in an instant, leaving us to wonder whether people deserve such a fate. Of course not. Yet perhaps it is simply their time…
And then suddenly I came to a realization: what if my time were tomorrow? It’s both terrifying and strangely amusing to think about how a teenager like me can reflect on such things.
No one is ever truly ready to die—I’m not ready to die.
I began to wonder: have I done everything I wanted to do? If my time were tomorrow, would I regret anything? The truth is, I would. I haven’t done much yet, and of course I would regret a lot. But I cannot prevent death. All I can do is pray that I live long enough to grow old, though who really knows?
Memento mori means “remember you must die,” but it also whispers another truth: “remember you must live.”
Remember you must live.
Live to do everything you wish to do. We don’t know when the time will come, so until then, do the things that make you happy, that fulfill you, so that in the end you will not regret anything.
We are still too young to think of such things. We are basically children in the bodies of adults.
Be successful.
Be happy.
I hope a radiant season strikes within your life—with a warm spring breeze that brings comfort.
Therefore, the phrase memento mori serves as a reminder that, despite its somber meaning, we should look at the brighter side: remember that you will die, so live freely. Do the things you want while you are still breathing and healthy.
-@lorrix_