"Whenever I prepare for a journey I prepare as though for death. Should I never return, all is in order"

Katherine Mansfield's quote speaks with the importance of being prepared for the unknown. She suggests that when starting a journey, one ought to be gotten ready for the worst-case situation, as if they were preparing for death. This might be analyzed as a suggestion to take nothing for given and to be conscious of the fragility of life. It could also be viewed as a call to live life to the fullest, as if each journey could be one's last. By being gotten ready for death, Mansfield indicates that a person must make sure that all of their affairs are in order, so that if they do not return, their liked ones will be looked after. This quote is a reminder to appreciate the present minute and to ensure that all of our affairs are in order, so that we can live life to the maximum.