Breathing is not only the process of inhaling and exhaling; it’s a reminder that every breath we take is a gift of life.

A gift I often took for granted, I used to see life as something that just is. I never saw why people would see life as the ultimate thing like simply being alive was all it took to be happy. At my lowest, I thought death was an escape from this journey we were cursed to endure.

At my highest, it was the accolades or moments I enjoyed, not the mere act of living that allowed me to enjoy all those miraculous moments.

Breathing was simply something you did, something so natural it’s built into a cliché. Breathing and life in general was the same at my highest and lowest, the only difference my lungs worked harder at the apex.

It is something so normal and mundane, you don’t even think about it most days. That is until you suddenly can’t, panic sets in, and the act that is so natural feels forced.

The only moment you start to relax is when you’re so deprived of oxygen, your body has no choice as your mind is starting to fade out of consciousness and into oblivion.

That’s when your mind stops fighting and realizes it must do its final action, playing the biggest moments of your life letting you experience the highs of existence one final time.

That’s when you realize how close you are to your final breath.

I thought I was close to death in the past, those were just teases to prepare me for last week’s explosion.

Other near-death experiences I’ve been involved in were nightmares. This is the only time I was so close to the end, it felt like a dream.

Getting to see Zeus propose to me again filled me with such exuberant joy. Walking down the aisle was life’s best journey, winning Invasion was life’s best climb. Winning the world championship was life’s best destination. All these moments and the realization there wasn’t going to be another did what every therapist and relative tried to make me believe.

Life itself is the best gift we are so lucky to receive and it’s time to start enjoying it. The problem for the Seekers is that it doesn’t make me more docile because every breath feels like a hit of the newest drug. No, it makes me want to take revenge on those who tried to take everything from me. You might seek but I’ll be the one who destroys.

Consider this the warning I wasn’t lucky enough to receive on my end. Enjoy these last few days of life, breathe it fully in, and acknowledge how lucky we are to be alive right now.

Do it now because I will make sure your demise is sudden. The quick death will be my bittersweet gift to you. You don’t have to experience the physical pain of death but none of you will get to relive the best moments. They will remain a distant memory locked to the past.

The same fate awaits you. Seek destruction and you shall find destruction.