Transient Existence

There have been many news stories around the transience of life ~ although the media does not refer to it in that manner. They're a bit too fear mongering for that.

A month ago, a friend of mine had a stroke at the gym. She died four days later, never waking from the stroke and consequent surgery. Why did such a vibrant, loving young woman die?

Recently, a mother of two young boys left home late one afternoon and wasn't heard from again. A week later, it was discovered that she had taken her own life. So many unanswered questions.

Yesterday, Robin Williams apparently took his own life. He leaves behind a legacy of bringing much joy to so very many people. He himself must have felt much pain. More unanswered questions.

Police in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old young man. His grandmother found his body in the street. Again, unanswered questions.

Today Lauren Bacall died of a stroke at age 89. After living a long, productive life. None of the angst associated with the other deaths, and yet a loss, a passing from our world.

Buddha equates "the birth and death of beings" with "looking at the movements of a dance." Depending on the influence of the particular being's birth or death on our individual life, the dance has a different appearance, a distinct interpretation. Yet it remains transient. It passes us by without asking our permission.

Do you feel or believe that life is transient? that births and deaths are like dance movements? How else are you affected by the passing of others into and out of this world? Are you more or less affected by those who've been 'larger than life' (like Williams or Bacall)?

What Matters Most

The past several days have been hot.... well, maybe not truly or incredibly hot, but certainly a rapid change from the cool Spring temperatures that had been hanging around for awhile. I am not overly fond of the heat and sometimes find myself either very quiet or somewhat inexplicably crabby. Finding this quote at this particular moment was providential.

Different traditions use different words, yet the sentiment is essentially the same. What matters most is not me or the heat or the acquisition of stuff or even my personal happiness. What matters is loving well. For me that means putting aside the pettiness that often creeps into my mind, words and heart. It means looking at the welfare of others first, but not out of a sense of obligation ~ instead out of a sense of love, honoring, devotion.

How fully I live matters. Not whether or not I'm happy or I have everything I could ever want [which never happens]. It's about awareness.... being in the moment, aware of the joy, sorrow, laughter that is life. I believe it also means being aware of the impact of humanity on Mother Earth and understanding that I am a part of that grand circle of all living things.

The last point ~ deeply letting go ~ is probably the most difficult. I like hanging on to the cuts and scrapes my ego has endured ~ and telling everyone how wonderful I am for having endured them. It keeps me hanging on to the negative aspects of people and situations far longer than I ever needed to. What I really need and want to do is experience, breathe in, the fullness of what is happening in the moment and let the rest fall away and into place on its own.

How do you decide if you love well? or live fully? or let go deeply? What do you do if the answer to any of those queries is "no"?