Saturday, October 31, 2009

Mortality

I read obituaries. I know, it probably comes from entering my stage of life. Actually, I mainly look to see the younger people who have died and always wish they would say "why" they died. I try to figure it out but it usually isn't evident. I'm so much more in touch with my motality these days. In the past months Bob and I have lost very dear friends, just adding to the number we have lost in the past. We realize that the number will only increase. It really makes me think about my own mortality and how precious life is. It makes me wonder how long I will live, what the quality of that life will be and how I can make the best use of the years remaining

Bob is constantly telling me that I need to write. I know he is right. What is not written will be lost. Those we learn from in scriptures are the ones who wrote. The rest are unknown. Two things remain from our lifetime of experiences, thoughts and education . One, the impact they have had on others and two, the person we become. These two things we "can take with us", but there are generations yet to come who will never know me personally. I love them and care deeply about them and would like them to know me, to learn from my mistakes and be taught from my experience...how common these life experiences are to each of us. My greatest hope is that I can live a productive life, focus on blessing the lives of others and overcome my weaknesses. Life has blessed me so much...can I expect that those blessings will continue? I surely hope so.

Life is short. Death is a reality. It makes me sad to think that a whole life of living, learning and loving is summed up in one little article, a one hour service and its over. How I hope that the life I live will live on in the lives I can bless, the writings I can leave and the person I become.