The land line hardly ever rings these days. So when it does there are always a few moments of hesitation as to whom the caller might be. When it rang at 9pm I did experience some apprehension. My concerns were more than justified when one of my closest cousins, sobbing heavily, announced that his elder sister had just passed away at the age of 59. What terrifying news and what do you say in such horrific circumstances.
Just the next day I learned on the morning news that one of my oldest friends who had achieved national fame had also met his demise, after having fought against a terrible illness for many years.
Three of my class mates were no longer with us and our neighbours had recently lost their twelve year old son.
It all makes you think… You soon start to wonder and to ask those disturbing yet inevitable questions. Who’s next? When is it my turn?
And although you don’t really want an answer, you cannot help but contemplate these dark and disturbing thoughts. Do you worry, do you despair? You know for a fact that like everyone else without fail your time will come, no matter what you can possibly do.
The rich and the poor, the bright and the dim, the big and the small, all follow each other into the one and only certain eventuality of life – its end.
Our family and friends, our wealth and possessions, our work and our leisures, all are left behind. As is our memory, our legacy of sorts, no matter how big or small.
We can leave joy and compassion, love and affection, or we can leave hatred, jealousy and scorn.
We can choose to forgive and to love, then we too will take with us for the rest of eternity such feelings of goodness and joy. Or we can bear grudges, maintain differences and rivalry, which will leave poison behind us, as well as in our dying hearts.
We can choose to be benevolent and generous of spirit with all others around us, or to spread hatred and evil afar.
And as always in life we will reap what we sow. This will be the only thing left which others will remember us by, and the only thing remaining in our passing soul.
For it is entirely us who choose between heaven and hell, through our thoughts and actions, before we die. It is a totally self imposed fate which we have the luxury of choosing while we are still alive.
Choose wisely my friends before it’s too late. Forgive and forget all that is negative, empty your soul of the foul, do not harbour hate and oppression for the rest of eternity.
Go kiss those around you, send out messages of love. Take away your bitterness and replace it with happiness, for it is you who will benefit most from its joy.