Wednesday, 7/14/10 - My Life

This is my life.

A picture's thousand words cannot begin to describe its fullness, its sweetness or the intensity of its color. The picture only shows what is on the surface at a single point in time. Life does not occur in an instant. Ironically, life takes a lifetime to achieve.

Go ahead, look again.



Pretty nice, huh?
Funny part is that I had very little to do with this.
I was not the one who filled this bowl - you did.

Each cherry - stem and pit included - is not an accomplishment, an achievement or an acquisition, it is an experience; one that I shared with you. None of these experiences can be owned or measured, they can only be shared and appreciated. They cannot be compared, one against another, as each is identical in weight, importance, and value.

You see, the thing I cherish most in this life is time; not the ever marching progression of seconds, but the moments - whether mere seconds or many years - that we spend together learning, teaching and being with one another. To me, a life worth living is not achieved through my actions but through our mutual interactions: yours and mine.

It is you that makes me happy and whole.

For me there is never a worry that this bowl might overflow, spilling precious memories. I am also unconcerned that as I feast upon its contents it might one day be emptied. Neither of these is possible. The bowl will always be large enough to store sacred memories and to accept new experiences; it will always be full enough to allow me to enjoy and to share as much as I like.

Yes, the picture can help to convey how I view my life but to really understand we would need to spend some time together because that is what makes this life fulfilling.

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So let me take a moment to recognize a few of the people who have taken time to fill my bowl with cherries.

First (and they will always be first) are my parents who set the standard for most things in my life. So many times I patterned my behavior after their example - trying hard to walk in their footsteps - and I have always been pleased with the result. Had they not been my parents I would have sought them out as friends.

Next is Don who sweetens every day with his wit, humor and simple, thoughtful acts. We differ in every way - except in those ways that really matter.

All of my brothers and sisters who, with a pinch of this and a dollop of that, have added zest, flavor and dimension to my life. You all shared those awkward and unsteady adolescent moments. We crawled, walk, ran, fell down, got up, laughed and cried as one. We grew together, as only siblings can, and when the time came for each of us to grow independently we did so with the assurance that the others would always be there. My siblings are the only "bling" I need in my life.

From here, the list unfurls in an almost unending procession of names. It includes you and everyone I have ever met. Even if I don't remember your name, you have helped to fill this bowl.

You may read this and think, "No, my name is not on that list. I have dropped nothing in his bowl."

Think again.

You taught me to read or to ride a motorcycle. You shared the Four Winds with me. You flew with me on the four winds. You danced till dawn at The Saint. You were less than saintly in Chicago. You drove the boat. You drove me home. You read what I wrote. You wrote me. You read to me. You cried on my shoulder. You let me cry on yours. You shared a hot fudge sundae on Kiawah Island. You talked to me. You listened. You fixed my car. You broke my heart. You helped me to put up a fence. You cut down a tree that threatened to fall on my house. You threatened to leave. You left. You came back. You hiked with me in the back woods. You picked me up hitchhiking. You remembered cinco de mayo. You sat with me. You stood with me. You walked with me. You skipped school with me. You love me. You hate to see me fail. You put me first. You served me seconds. You woke me on time. You let me sleep late. You took nothing. You gave me everything. You. Yes, you.

When I talk about my life, I am really talking about you.

Thank YOU.