It’s the beginning of a new week, and soon, a new
month. Where did the time go? Weren’t we all swimming and grilling and taking vacations
just a couple of weeks ago?
Now the kids are all well into the school year. In
a few days, it will be Halloween. And incredibly, it’s only 58 days until Christmas.
Someone has said, “Life is not just the passing of
time. Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity.”
Well put. Not just a collection of experiences but
also their intensity. Those are the moments that give life substance,
affirmation, depth. Those are the times we remember.
I attended a couple of birthday parties over the
weekend. They were great times with family and friends I love. We shared food
and drinks, laughter and fun, warm hugs and memories. There were children
rolling in the grass, their tender faces bright with smiles, their small arms extended
to receive squeezes and kisses.
There were adult reminiscences, catching up on what’s
new with one another, and the easy flow of conversation and friendship.
Those are not just happy times, they are times
filled with earnestness and devotion, luminous moments that remind us of the
meaning of our journey here. Which is all about human connections, sharing, and
love.
The Indian mystic and poet Rabindranath Tagore
wrote that we should not give time to querulous people who will take time from
us so that in the end we leave "Time’s altar empty of all offerings that last.”
These are days filled with this sort of time
stealing. American society is locked in a battle against the abuse of time, a battle where time is wasted in petulant acrimony, endless arguing, and the
failed attempts to express ourselves in ways that actually inspire and move
others into more thoughtful thinking and acting.
The Buddhists tell the story of a young boy who asks
an old man how old he is. The man says he is four years old. The boy is shocked
and looking at him he says, “But your hair is so white, and you carry a cane.
How can you be only four?” The old man smiled and said, “In the past, I lived a
wasteful life. I was selfish and preoccupied. I was bitter and unhappy. Four
years ago, I gained new insights into myself and into life. I learned to do
good and be helpful. I decided to rid myself of greed, hatred, and ignorance. I
knew I possessed a better nature and I wanted to live by it. Four years ago, I
discovered value, meaning, and fulfillment by choosing to do better. That is
why I am only four years old.”
We never get too old to discover how precious our existence
can be. We never get too old to decide to fill it with a collection of
experiences and intensity that give time such quality and purpose that our life
journey will leave footprints and laughter and affection in the dreams of all
we love.
© 2019 Timothy Moody
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