meditation of death

I wasn't aware of the ancient history of the idea of living each day as if it were the last. To the Roman philosopher Seneca, training for death was an important part of taking care of the self, as explained by Foucault in "The hermeneutic of the subject" (in Ethics. Subjectivity and Truth). I don't think Seneca would think very highly of me if he'd seen me in one of my weak lying-passively-on-the-couch-watching-TV moments. Not quite what he thought of as melete thanatou (meditation of death). It's rather about being very aware of every day and every moment, and thinking of every day as a possible entire life: "Let us go to our sleep with joy and gladness; let us say; I have lived." Meditation of death offers the possibility of looking back on one's life. In advance. When you still have the chance to appropriate a virtuous life. When it's not too late.