Tag Archives: life

I Have a Problem

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I have a problem with a few things in life, namely:

Holding grudges for years

Wielding a higher education over those of lesser learning

Not seeing both sides of a situation

Not heeding our own conscience or well intended advice

Those who believe being right is their right even when they are wrong

Those who wield their power to the detriment of others

Those who believe their lives matter more than someone else’s

Not using forgiveness as a way to ease a variety of social illnesses

Abandonment…human or otherwise

Seeing the speck in another’s eye without observing the log in our own

I could go on and on but I have a problem with me having a problem with all of this.

 

The Matter of Dying

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Well, the world, and Canada in particular, has lost another one of its stellar people.  At the age of fifty-three, Gord Downie, frontman for the Tragically Hip music group, succumbed to the brain cancer that had been a part of his life for the past two years. But before Gord left he made sure to leave a lovely legacy of love with us. His music, poetry, writings, quotes, and general “live for love” attitude will long remain in the minds of those who knew him or of him in his lifetime.

Here is a short clip from a Tragically Hip statement on Gord’s death:

Gord knew this day was coming – his response was to spend this precious time as he always had – making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss… on the lips.

Gord said he had lived many lives. As a musician, he lived “the life” for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, son, brother, husband and friend. No one worked harder on every part of their life than Gord. No one.

There are those of us who have lived a lengthy life and are ready to ready to make that next step.

And then, like Gord Downie, there are those of us whose lives are brought to a close long before we think our time is up.

It’s a matter of how well we live our lives that counts, how much good we do, how much love we share while we are here that counts because in the end every single one of us will experience the matter of dying. Gord did it so well.

RIP Gord Downie.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stand By Me

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On Thursday I attended another end-of-life celebration. A dear friend in her 95th year had been declining for a few years after breaking a hip which never completely healed. This robbed her of her active life and eventually landed her into a long-term-care facility where each year she longed to be closer to her Maker.

Not long ago as I entered her room for a visit she called out, “Oh, Pat. I’m still here and I don’t know what to do.” “Well, Carol,” I replied, “there is a long line of people waiting at the gates of Heaven and you will just have to be patient and wait your turn.”

Carol had been very active in our church and community for over sixty years and as one of our elders, cared deeply for those in her care. She, too, had been a comforting visitor to many people and had seen many of her friends climb that stairway to heaven.

I had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting her two sons and daughter on many occasions while visiting Carol. Their love for their mother was very evident in the way they each attended to her needs at various times. There was affection, gentle chiding, wholesome conversation and endless hours of just being with her. They were always standing by her side.

Yesterday I heard that wonderful song, “Stand by Me” and it brought tears to my eyes as Carol and her devoted family came into my mind.

Don’t we all need somebody to Stand by Me? Enjoy this rendition from many parts of our world and have a Happy Saturday.

Listen to Each Other

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It came to my attention today that a Scarborough MP recently died of cancer. Arnold Chan was fifty years of age and a well respected and loved politician who was first and foremost a humanitarian who cared deeply for his constituents and fellow Members of Parliament. He was said to be positive, optimistic and full of energy.

After hearing a replay of one of his speeches, this particular sentence stood out for me…”That is the challenge that is going on around the world right now,” he said. “No one is listening. Everyone is just talking at once. We have to listen to each other.”

“We have to listen to each other.” How profound is that? And how timely? And how to the point…whether in politics, families, friendships, relationships, marriages…”We have to listen to each other.”

These words remind me of a line from the famous poem, “Desiderata”: And listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, for they too have their story.

Some people leave this world a better place by the things they have said and done. Arnold Chan was one of those people just by uttering that single sentence…”We have to listen to each other.”

I’m Sorry, So Sorry

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Recently I was asked where my blog material comes from and it comes from everywhere; an overheard or general conversation, certain books and authors, TV and radio programs…life itself.

Today it’s from a radio program I listened to on CBC yesterday, about apologies and how effective they can be in healing people and the world.

One segment was about a drunk driver killing two young ladies in a car crash in 2002. The mother of one of them wanted only to see the twenty-two-old young man face to face and hear a sincere apology from him. And she did. It was replayed on radio and I had tears in my eyes and in my heart. These two people, the mother and the killer of her daughter became friends in the end. How? Because forgiveness was asked for and given.

It’s not only a drunk driver who can affect someone’s life. There are many ways of doing that and perhaps with some soul searching, we may see where we have been just as guilty as this young man and say, “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

This song of Brenda Lee’s talks about being too blind to see and not seeing the wrong that’s been done. It’s meant to be a romantic apology but it was played on the radio program and was very effective…it too, brought forth a few tears because of, like the young man, the genuineness of her voice. You can hear both apologies right here on this page.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/outintheopen  Then click on “A drunk driver apologizes…”

What Are We Worth?

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“I can barely tolerate my parents, now.” This from a middle aged woman I met in a supermarket not long ago. I was reaching for an item on a top shelf and she, being much taller, retrieved it for me. She asked if there was anything else I needed. The woman then guided me to the next item I had trouble finding.

“You are a geriatric person. I can tell,” I commented.

“Not really,” she said. And that was when she offered the opening comment, “I can barely tolerate my parents, now.They are in their eighties and showing their age.”

Yesterday, I read a post by Roger Baker, “The Worth of a Man”. It’s a tribute to a man celebrating his eightieth birthday and how some people have shunted him to the back burner of their lives.  https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/24904117

And to those people he wrote a poem where one line stood out for me. “You spurn the soul what made you.”

“You spurn the soul what made you.” There is so much truth in that tiny sentence, as proven by the woman in the supermarket.

Some of us in this age bracket are noticing this phenomenon and wondering…what are we worth?

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. Psalm 71:9 NIV

 

Celebrating Life

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Part of my Saturday will be spent at a Celebration of Life ceremony for a long-time friend and member of our congregation…it’s part of life, after all. May your Saturday be spent celebrating life in whatever way brings you peace, joy and happiness. Happy weekend.

Image result for happy weekend

Worth Repeating

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This was posted by Butch Dean in July and I believe it is definitely worth repeating.

Don’t Let Time Slip Away

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Butch Dean

Life and relationships have their difficulties. We don’t always agree with one another. Sometimes, we let pride and stubbornness rob us of the time we have together. Then, when we least expect it, life ends for one and any opportunity to make things right is gone. We are left helpless with a burden of regret.

Don’t let time slip away. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. Don’t wait until it’s too late. The time to make things right is now, this moment…it is all you have. There’s no promise of tomorrow; there’s only today. Don’t let time slip away.

The School of Life

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The school of life teaches many things and what we may learn is the tests are ongoing. Just when we think we have learned a lesson well and passed a trying test…along comes another one.

What I have learned mostly is that the tests are repeated until we finally get it. If we don’t get it, we don’t move on and sometimes may even be put back.

The tests are so varied and valuable that it is only when we have finally learned a lesson being drummed into us that we make the grade to a higher degree of life’s education.

Where are you on life’s report card? Is that A+ or 100% showing up in your life or do you have a few more tests to take…or repeat?

As for me…the tests have been trying indeed and much has been learned. Am I close to graduation?  All I can say is after eighty years in the school of life I’m getting ready to cram for the finals.