Death has a funny way of putting life into perspective. Over the last few years Ive lost a lot of friends. Sometimes its been something slow, and time is given for goodbyes. Others have been lost to murder or suicide, leaving more questions than answers. No matter in what form, life comes to an end, it brings forth the question of what am I doing with the time I have been given? There is a scene at the end of Schindlers List that has always haunted me. After Oskar Schindler has saved the lives of hundreds of Jews, who would have otherwise suffered the cruelest fate, he has a panic attack. He thinks of all the lives he could have saved, if he had done just a little bit more, hired one more employee, one more life saved. Few, if any of us, will ever have the chance to live as heroic a life as Oskar did. God willing, we will never have to. But in our own little ways, it is easy to feel that same panic over our shortcomings. Each day, I wonder if I could do more. My life plays on repeat in the back of my mind, frustrating me with failures and shortcomings. However, the reality is that we only have the ability to do the best we can. Its unlikely that Spielberg will direct a film about any of our lives, but this doesnt mean anything about the greatness of our individual impact. That being said, I realize there is so much more I could be doing. Lives yet to be changed, mine included. If I am remembered at all when I leave this world, I hope that it is not for anything Ive done, but for reminding people of a fundamental principle: to love your neighbor. Once we are able to see the world as one, to love others as ourselves, then we can make an impact. I do not want to starve, so I will feed my brother. I do not wish to be hurt, so I will protect my sister. I want equality in all things, so I will fight for all. We always say when someone dies that we, lost them. But if we allow the end of one thing to be the beginning of another, they are not lost, or gone, just reborn. We carry the flame that they left behind. I do not have to miss anyone who is no longer here with me physically, because their spirit propels me forward, and I bring them with me. I cant say at the end that I wont regret the things I have not done, or those whom I never helped. But I can say with certainty that until I am taken to wherever I will go, Im going to keep fighting. Life is for living, not just for ourselves, but so that we may all be one. Live a little, today!
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 04:20:56 +0000
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