We have just a tiny scrap of existence here
– a miniscule piece of our eternity –
to love and learn and live
and leave something good behind.
Let’s not waste it on nothings.
– Karen Molenaar Terrell
As I was scrolling through Facebook I saw a post by a friend, sharing that she’d just lost her mother. Her mother had gone into the hospital on a Wednesday and was dead on Sunday. Her death was a surprise to everyone. As I looked through my friend’s pictures of her mom, I realized that her mom was probably about my age. That realization brought me up short. Whoah. And then I thought of the loved ones I’ve lost in the last several years – some of them my age, and some of them younger – and it gave me pause.
I am not afraid of death. I’m maybe afraid of the pain involved in death, but I’m not afraid of death itself. If, as I believe, my consciousness will continue on and continue to learn and unfold – that would be fine. And if death is really the end – that would be fine, too – I mean, I won’t be around to feel one way or the other about it, right? No, I’m not afraid of death – but I hope that what I do here, during my time here, will make a difference for the people who come after me. I hope my time here will mean something, you know? I don’t want to waste even a minute of it on ridiculous rivalries, and empty quests for fame and wealth. I don’t want to waste my life on nothings. Life is too short. We only have one shot at this.
“John says of the world, not that it is wrong, but simply that it ‘passeth away.’ There is a great deal in the world that is delightful and beautiful, there is a great deal that is great and engrossing, but it will not last. All that is in the world, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, are but for a little while…Nothing that it contains is worth the life and consecration of an immortal soul…You will give yourself to many things; give yourself first to love. Hold things in their proportion.”
– Henry Drummond
(Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell, taken on a hike in the North Cascades.)
Butterflies on My Shoe
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 
I heard somewhere it doesn’t matter how long a person’s life is, what truly matters is how big they make their lives. Yes the concept of pain involved in death is something that might be inescapable but before that every passing moment is holds a promise of a smile. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such an emotionally honest post! According to your convenience please do read some of my writings would love to know what you think about them. 🙏
Thank you, Sidharth! ❤
Your welcome 😊
I’m following you now! 🙂
Thank you for your support. Following you too!
Very powerful as usual my friend. Speaking of friends and Death. I had a good friend years ago, well actually we are still friends just not as close as back then as we live far apart now, but anyway at that time she was very disturbed and talked about suicide a lot. I can remember telling her it was against the odds that she was alive and conscious . Even if she did not believe in God,I told her, she was creation looking at itself, which is no small thing. That seemed to make an impression on her. So it worked out good! Take care ! Rick
It IS against the odds that we’re alive, isn’t it?! Our ancestors had to survive pestilence, plague, war and famine long enough to reproduce, AND we had to win The Great Sperm Race against, like, 60 million other competitors! I like the idea that we are Creation witnessing itself – that reminds me of something Mooji might say (I just finished reading his book *Vaster Than Sky, Greater Than Space*). I’m glad you were there for your friend, and I’m glad she’s still with us. ❤