Woman Posts A “Note Before I Die” On Eve Of Her Death

Holly Butcher of Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, died on Jan. 4, 2018, at the age of 27. On the eve of her death, she posted a “note before I die” letter on Facebook summarizing a few important lessons she’d learned during her short life. Since then, her “note before I die” has gone viral, reaching tens of thousands of people, and has caused many to rethink what’s important in their lives.

Holly Butcher
Credit: Buzzfeed.com

Holly died of Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that generally afflicts teenagers and young adults. Many 27-year-olds are busy figuring out their lives, possibly getting married and starting families, or establishing new careers. Unfortunately, Holly was unable to do some of those things. But she left a powerful gift that is now accessible to the world.

Statements like, “Live every day like it’s your last,” “You never know how long you’ve got,” and “Don’t sweat the small stuff” have become trite homilies that people hear regularly. As cliché as they are, though, there’s a reason why they’ve remained ubiquitous in our culture. Holly’s letter demonstrates the importance of these sayings in ways most of us could not.

“That’s the thing about life,” she writes in her “note before I die.” “It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right…I’m 27 now. I don’t want to go. I love my life. I am happy…I owe that to my loved ones. But the control is out of my hands.”

The letter is upsetting to read knowing that she is no longer alive. But her intention in sharing it has certainly been met with gratitude and appreciation. A look at the comment sections on Facebook and the numerous sites that have posted her letter exemplify how much it has affected people.

Holly writes in her “note before I die” about how she wishes people would not be so fixated on frivolous things like being stuck in traffic, breaking a fake nail or getting a haircut that’s too short.

“Those times you are whinging about ridiculous things,” she writes, “just think about someone who is really facing a problem. Be grateful for your minor issue and get over it…I swear you will not be thinking of those things when it is your turn to go.”

The small, fleetingly annoying things aren’t significant in the long run, so it’s best to get over them as quickly as possible.

Words of Advice

Holly Butcher wanted to leave something behind that would benefit the people around her. Among many things, Holly admonishes those reading to help others regularly, and says she wishes she had done this more often herself.

Credit: bustle.com

“Give, give, give,” she writes. “It is true that you gain more happiness doing things for others than doing them for yourself.”

Yet she also places importance on doing things for yourself: “Be ruthless for your own well-being,” she writes early in her “note before I die.”

She implores us to listen to music, cuddle our dogs, travel, eat cake, talk with our friends (put down your phone), and say no to things if we don’t want to do them.

Holly also advises us to be wary of placing too much importance on social media and instant gratification. It’s vital we truly live in each moment, she says. Getting the perfect picture to share with everyone else is not the treasure we really need. Life is not meant to be lived through a screen.

Despite its many pitfalls, the advent of social media has undeniably given us all a platform through which we can share our inner thoughts and feelings. And at times this is worth celebrating. Holly’s letter has bequeathed sound advice to and resonated with many who might otherwise never have heard her voice. That’s something we can all appreciate.