The Chinese remind us to enjoy ourselves, because “it’s later than we think.” Yes, the future does have a nasty habit of arriving all too quickly, hiding just out of sight and then running right into our path. We don’t pay much attention because we have so much to concentrate on during our action-packed and stressed-out days.
They say our spirit is indomitable. It takes a beating, almost daily, and yet still musters up a smile, or fills you with warmth, like a hot cup of tea. Saint Francis de Sales urged us not to lose our inner peace for anything, “even if your whole world seems upset.”
Are the tears that roll down my cheeks when I’m alone filled with all that I am? Do such small things contain all of my memories and bits of pieces of my life?
I ventured out on a limb, and reached a crossroads of sorts. It may not be the biggest revelation I’ve had, but it’s a grand existential enigma. I’ve decided to sell some of my prized possessions and trim things down a bit. As I mentioned this at home, my son said that all I would get in return is money and once it’s gone, that’s it. Well, yes, that’s the nature of commerce, I suppose.
How many of us think about, and even talk to, the dearly departed? How often do we miss hearing their voices or laughter? Recently, while driving home from my radiation treatment at Southlake, I pictured my mom’s face in the cloudy sky above. I began to cry.
How did we get here? No, that’s not a rhetorical question. As a tail-end Baby Boomer I flip through the blank pages of my parent ing handbook to reveal … nothing.
This isn’t the world I grew up in, and it’s not exactly the same place as the one I raised my children in. The pendulum – the constant movement of time – never stops to wait for us. We are often left, stranded on the platform, waiting for the next train. And yet, the extraordinary experiences we amass as we age give us real clarity of the past, present and future. We become almost sage-like if you will. At least that’s what I tell my family members. And then the obvious similarities with Yoda pop up!
Martin Luther once said that everything that is done in the world is done by hope. Sometimes we have to call upon rather unscientific methods to deal with modern life. We rely on our instinct; follow our hearts; muster up our faith, and always have hope. For many, hope is all they have.
We all know our time here on earth is limited – a mere tick on an endless clock of time. Sure, humans are among the longest-living creatures on earth and we can accomplish a great deal in the decades we walk the planet. We can also waste a lot of time, and do some damage along the way.
Knowledge itself is power, and it’s also not free – you have to pay attention! Adam Growe, Canadian comedian and host of the TV quiz show Cash Cab, is my companion on quiet Sunday mornings. I cheer for the contestants and celebrate my own knowledge of general trivia.
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