Witnessing mum’s body slow and fail has brought a new awareness of just how incredible our bodies are. How utterly awe-inspiring.

Firstly, there’s the force of life, the ability to overcome and to function. Mum has hardly eaten anything for weeks, she’s drinking little, breathing is impaired. And yet this intricate, complex system of nerve, muscle, bone continues to resource itself.

Then the sheer magic of even the most mundane processes. Watching mum’s swallow reflex waver, mine becomes so much more precious. When did any of us swallow a sip of water and really notice? Really feel gratitude for this ability? We do it with no conscious control whatsoever.

But stop for a second, take that drink, imagine all the physical structure and all the muscle coordination, all the nerves firing, just for that sip of water. It’s extraordinary, it’s precious, it is a gift.

Try a breath. Try a step. Try a smile. Wiggle your big toe. Each of these tiny actions is amazing, each would be almost impossible to recreate in a machine, yet we take it for granted every minute, every hour, every day.

I, like most of us, tend to focus on what my body can’t do. We think of our aging bodies, the creaky knees, the stiff joints, the increasing need for varifocals!

And yet, this morning, I’m overwhelmed with wonder and gratitude for all that makes a human body. By its animal drive to continue, by its beauty, by its magic. By being closer to death, life becomes so much more astounding.