Relationships

Lately I have been thinking about the life of someone I barely knew. He had a short life on this earth. His going was sudden and confusing. I find myself wondering why I even think of someone I didn’t know and briefly encountered close to 15 years ago. With the thoughts of him roaming in my head I have also been pondering this quote:

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence Oddbody

Why do I feel like he has left an awful hole? I didn’t even know him. He touched my sister’s life more. I think I still feel the pain she suffered.

I can’t help but think of relationships and how people impact others. Relationships are the most important thing in life. But today we are becoming busier and busier. Why? For what? Are we becoming busier building relationships? Or busier making money? More and more we take people for granted. When they are in our presence we aren’t as thankful as when they are gone. Why do we pick up our phones when we are talking to someone face to face? Don’t we see that we are really saying, “Well, you’re not that important.” Society tells us to be busy. Work hard. Make money. Buy that house. Go for the newer car. Get your retirement set. Do anything it takes. Climb that ladder. A friend sent me this a while back:

"The things society says are important are not important. Your profession, your money, your looks. Loving people, having a deep connection with people, taking care of people, that is important."

What has made us become so concerned with our worldy lifestyle? We feel the need to tell the world what we’ve accomplished. What if we took more time to build relationships? Made less money. Watched less television. Spent less time on the internet. Spent less time at work. Reduced our style of material living. And used that time to make current relationships stronger and made new relationships with strangers. What if stopped to sit on that park bench and simply talked to people. What if we didn’t fear the unknown? What would happen if we didn’t fear change? What has caused us to become cold? Beauty comes from people, not from things. Imagine how much more beautiful life could be…

Once our time here is done nothing material comes with us. But the love we have shown to others does.

Why do we act as though we will live forever? We all know we are going to die. But we really don’t know when. It could be any second. But why do we act as though it won’t happen? What would happen to the world if we all loved more? Not just our families, but even strangers. Imagine fixing that broken relationship you neglect to address. Maybe opening your heart again and being humble instead of prideful. It’s never too late. What if we were slow to anger? Would it really hurt? What if we were happy to be interrupted in our busy lives. In this we have the opportunity to touch other lives and to be touched back. Think of how much more rich life would be.

I remember being told Askia was dead. My heart hurt. It still does. I can only imagine the hearts that still hurt after all these years. Thinking of him makes me think of the identical twin brothers from my high school. One morning one of them never woke up. Imagine the words his brother never got to say before his brother died.

We don’t know when our life might be over on this earth. Be grateful for the people in your life, even the strangers. Tell them how much they mean to you. Show love to all. It lasts forever.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."

I love you all. Thank you for touching my life.