The One People Say Even More: “I Wish I Would Have Appreciated My Health”
McFadden has repeatedly shared a line she hears from dying patients:
“I wish I would have appreciated how well I felt before.”
It sounds obvious—until you notice how rarely we act like it’s true.
When your body is working, it’s easy to treat “normal” as the baseline you’re owed.
Breathing without thinking. Walking without pain. Sleeping without fear. Eating without nausea.
Those aren’t small things. They’re the whole game.
People don’t usually miss their best day.
They miss their ordinary day.
The day they didn’t celebrate because it wasn’t “special.”
McFadden has said she tries to learn from this by writing a gratitude list—small, practical reminders of what people often take for granted.
Not a motivational poster. A reality check.
So why does this regret show up so reliably?
Because health is invisible when it’s present—and loud when it’s gone.
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