A senior citizen recently said to me, What difference will my death make to anyone? I have learnt that no matter what, life goes on. He said it with a touch of resignation and dejection, struggling with his strong(unfulfilled) desire to feel he had made a difference, his life mattered. I did not argue with his disappointment. Instead, I said, You are right. But that is an incomplete summary of things. Yes, none of us are indispensable. But each of us is irreplaceable. Who you are and what you have contributed to everyone who knew you remains unforgettable, impactful and significant. When you make yourself unimportant, you have made the lives of all those who touched your life, and have died, meaningless as well. Does that ring true for you? Your experience and feelings tell you otherwise. Just as your experience tells you that life does go on. Life invites us to embrace the paradox many times over. Seemingly opposites can concurrently be true. When we see the whole picture we are at peace. Any lopsided view leaves us with a sense of compromise and discomfort. Because we sense it is not the whole truth. He thought over what I said and I saw his energies shift considerably. He nodded and softly said he had new food for thought. Perhaps this sharing may be thought provoking for someone else as well and help them find their own peace, I cannot imagine what it is like to face imminent death. What I do know is that I have lost many loved ones. And undoubtedly, no matter how crushing the loss, we learn to move on and eventually renew a celebration of life. Yet, it is equally true, that absolutely everyone also leaves their unique imprint in our life. Life is richer thanks to having known them at all and all one can feel is gratitude.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 17:31:45 +0000
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