ACCEPTANCE MONTH: DAY 8: “The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.” ― Nietzche
At the end of our lives, many of the things we thought were so important turn out to be useless drivel we were hell-bent on achieving.
The “busy-ness” we occupy ourselves with, the running around and “doing” we make such big deals out of are truly meaningless when we sit at the end of life. If we die right now, what matters? Most of us are so occupied by doing that we miss out completely on the matters that are truly important. What did we bring to others that gave them joy that we existed at all? Is it all ego? Usually.
At the end of our lives, we will have little or no satisfaction from monetary gain, acclaim, awards or “stuff.” We will have no real appreciation of our time spent doing this or that, accomplishing this or that “goal” at the end of it all.
We will, however, be reminded, in a life review kind of way, that we were laughing deeply at this moment or that, that we touched another human life in a significant way on this day or that, and that we were deeply touched, in turn, by this or that person at this moment or that. None of the paydays or new cars or new homes, or other ego-gratifications are going to matter. They will not be what others see as significant in having lived a great life.
No one cared when Mother Theresa was dying, what order she belonged to. What they cared about was the time and love she gave to others who were deemed by social standards to be below that kind of consideration. We too, will be determined by that ruler.
What did you give of your time and self, your breath? What did you feed or not feed, with your time and self? Who did you give to that did not have strings attached? What did you share with another? How did you really live?
We will not have reached our end because that is the goal, but because it is the nature of all living things to have an end-date. Sometimes a life is determined to be over before it begins, sometimes a life may last a good many years. This is none of our business. How we spent the only true currency we are given is very important. What have we done, this day, to add to the joy and love of another, without toxic rules and expectations? What do we believe about our lives? Today is the day to sit in contemplation with what we do that really matters, not what ego tells us is important. What does your spirit say about the quality of time you give to life? Not what you get, but what you give. This is the epitaph we are writing today about who we really have been in the only life we get right now.
Dolphin Hug 