Every so often in life, one comes upon a moment of reflection and deep appreciation for truth. It is truth in the most simplest of forms.
It can be brought upon by a myriad of ways. Some blatant thunderous crashing upon the soul while others are sweet subtle moments that prick the center most point in the heart.
Life is simply a combination of fundamentals in the most basic of principles and instances which seem to get lost in the confusion of, well, living. As most of those who have lived long into their 70’s or 80’s, or beyond would agree, life moves by so very quickly. These quiet and often forgotten classes of our society face each day an escalating reminder of the frailty of the human existence. With wisdom and experience as their fortunes, they understand what truly is important and what it truly means to live.
Tragedy and circumstance can occur during the years of youth. These moments provide a brief glimpse and reminder of the fundamentals I speak of. A man in his twenties with focus and time spent on seeking and obtaining the finer things in life has a tendency to forget the ‘finest’ life has to offer without an interruption brought upon by trial. In contrast, the elder statesmen lives each day thanking the Lord for the blessing of simply being able to live another day.
When faced with the possibility of death, many have used the phrase their life ‘flashed before their eyes.’ While immediately following these episodes most claim a greater understanding of what is most important to them.
Being closer to the twenties rather than the eighties, I at times have experienced a lapse in remembering what really defines truth. I cannot define for another what truth is or what truly matters. It is a lesson and realization they must achieve for themselves. Similar to the question posed in books and on film, “What is the secret of life?” many are searching and some have claimed to have found it, but the answer is never shared.
However, in those moments of appreciation and reflection, where the weight of emotion, warmth, and love all come together to provide an overwhelming and breath-taking burning in the soul, can be found the simplest forms of truth a person will ever know.
So is there an answer to the secret of life question? Quietly; humbly and with resolution I would declare,
‘yes.’
3 comments:
what are you smoking mjd, is it crack?
I was this close to retracting my previous comment, but after reading your post about six times and pondering it for two days, I may be catching a glimpse of what you are trying to say. (I would also recommend being slightly less vague and elucidating your idea more. There is, however, poetry in what you say)
I like to think of those moments of truth as moments when God draws back the curtain for just a moment and illuminates my path. For that second, I get a glimpse of what God sees and understands for me. They don't happen often, but perspective changes forever when they do. I would also heartily agree that we can know the secret of life. Perhaps not the secret of life and humankind in general, but the secret of my life or of your life. It is an interesting thought to ponder and apply.
And one more thing...
I'm not sure wisdom about the most important things necessarily comes with age. I know some rather silly 80 year olds as well as 30 somethings with priorities well aligned.
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