Digest for May 23, 2026
“Let each thing you do, say, or intend be the act of one who might depart from life this very moment.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.11, in Long’s rendering: “Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.” (trans. George Long, 1862). The wording above is a modern paraphrase, not a translation. Memorial Day is a strange holiday. We grill. We shop. We go to the lake. We treat it like summer’s opening ceremony. And somewhere in the background (a parade, a flag, a moment of silence) we remember that the whole thing exists because people died. ...