Sunday, April 11, 2021

Time rolls on even after we're gone, and that's really OK

I am far from the first person to consider this, and I won't articulate it especially well, but it's rolling around in my head on this, the day when my mom would have turned 89.

Insightful News Flash #1: Some day, you are going to die.

Insightful News Flash #2: When it happens, the world will not suddenly grind to a halt.

Insightful News Flash #3: This is the way it has always been, and it's fine.

Like I said, nothing new here, but still something to consider.

Of course, you already know the lesson we're all supposed to take from this set of facts. Something about not sweating the small stuff. The things that cause us the most stress are also often the least important, least consequential things. In the grand scheme, they really don't matter much.

Many people worry about leaving behind a "legacy," whatever that means. But the vast majority of us will be all but completely forgotten less than 100 years after we're gone.

That sounds harsh, but again, it's OK. It forces us to focus on the smaller scale and the day-to-day.

Love people. Tell them you love them. Work hard. Do things you enjoy. Give to others even when you think you may not have a lot to give.

And honestly, that's about it. My mom lived that way, and as I've been saying since her passing last summer, hers is the best legacy I can think of leaving.

Heavy stuff today. This coming week I promise we'll get back to topics such as my terrible handwriting or why my children are incapable of cleaning up crumbs on the counter when they make toast.

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