Over the years, I’ve written about Morgan many times, keeping notes on many of the conversations Morgan and I have had, so I’d never forget the things she told me. 

They are the words of a young woman with a wisdom deeper than I am able to understand. She spoke these things in casual conversation, with no idea that her words are extraordinary. We call them “Morganisms.”

Some of the following paragraphs were spoken directly after she was placed under hospice care. Here are a few of my favorites: 

—“I don’t think it’s fair that life is measured in years. There are some people who live many years and don’t do much with their lives. There are also people who live a short time and do a lot of stuff. I think life should be measured in the amount of love you collect. And the amount of love you give. If that’s how life was measured, I would be very, very old and very wealthy.”

—“Life is too short to fight with people. I’m hard to fight with. I just stay silent. Let the other person win.”

—“Every day is a chance to make a new best friend.”

—“I’ve heard that in heaven there is no time. No clock, no future, no past. Only eternity. So, since the future and past are all happening at the same time, this means everyone is already there in heaven. I’m there. You’re there. My mom and dad are there. All my loved ones are there. We’re all in heaven. Right now. All the people who are alive right now on earth, they’re waiting for each other in eternity. 

“This means that as soon as I close my eyes in death, time won’t be holding you here. So the first thing I’m going to see is all my friends and all my loved ones. You’ll be there, too. I’ll see you instantly, on the other side; it will be like we were never apart. Then maybe you and I will laugh together and wonder why we ever took earthly life so seriously.”

—“Up there, we’ll be perfect. No more chronic pain. I’ll be able to get a full breath. And I’ll finally be able to see.”

—“Don’t live like you’re dying. Die like you really lived.”

—“Whenever it’s my birthday, instead of my friends singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ I ask them to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ because after all, it’s not my birthday that allows me to stand here. It’s grace.”

—“I hope they have Kraft mac and cheese in heaven. The blue box.”

—“Of all the things I can’t do anymore, I think I miss seeing most of all. The beauty of this earth is something people take for granted. Seeing is so great. Trees, birds, skies, stars, colors. Is there anything better than sight? If I could see like sighted people can, I would never close my eyes.”

—“I don’t want a funeral. I want a party.”

—“I recently went skydiving with my friend Kylie. I was in the beginning stages of sepsis, and I knew my time was short. I knew this would be my last chance to skydive, so I went that afternoon. 

“The infection was already getting bad, I had a fever and chills, and I knew I wasn’t going to survive this. I knew I wouldn’t have another chance. So I went skydiving. 

“Jumping out of the plane was like falling into big, strong arms. Total release. Being set free. My parachute opened, and we got sucked up into a cloud. And it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Even with my dim vision, I could see nothing but beauty. 

“Suddenly I forgot about my fever and my chills. There was whiteness everywhere. And it was so cold. It was like a dream world happening before my eyes. And then I got to thinking, you know, we see clouds every day. But sometimes we forget just how big they are, how ever-present, and how special. Sometimes we treat God the same way.”

—“Life is too short not to eat chocolate ice cream.”

—“If you ever want to feel my spirit after I am gone, go watch the sunset. No matter how far apart we are, we can always watch the sunset together. Of course, I’ll have a much better view than you.”

—“After my death, I’ll give you signs from the other side to remind you that I am not really gone. Little winks. Pay attention. Especially to the color purple. That’s my favorite color.”

—“When you grow up as a child with health issues and disabilities, you learn to feel different than everyone else. A school nurse sits with you all day, in the middle of class, and all your classmates sort of look at you like you’re weird. But the truth is, you’re not weird. You’re gifted, because unlike them, YOUR whole life isn’t about fitting in, or chasing boys, or being one of the crowd. Your gift is learning how to surrender, learning to accept, to allow, and not resist what is; you learn to receive and accept love, and then give that love back. Everyone’s life is about this. The only difference is, most folks don’t know it.”

—“Where I’m going, I’ll finally get my miracle.”

—“I love you, Sean. I love that we are friends. I love that we happened.”

—“My whole philosophy? Jesus loves me. This I know.”