Jamie from twloha recently posted a myspace blog that really made me think about what I'm thankful for. And although that's no easy thing to determine, I discovered that more than anything else, I'm thankful for life. It's easy to live, without giving our life a second thought. I think that far too often, we forget we're alive. I think we forget that we only live once (reincarnation beliefs aside). How many times do we worry about money, or extra weight, or our future? I know we hear it all the time from "inspirational" books and blogs that are probably much more qualified than the one I'm writing now. But in reality, all of these overused quotes have a valid point. We only have one life. We
will die within the next few decades. Morbid as it is, in a century, everyone we knew, or loved, or hated will be 6 feet under. And although my personal opinion is that no one really understands the concept of death, because our human minds can't possibly handle the implications that that understanding would bring, death is the only thing that is promised to any of us. However, to live a life focused on the inevitable would be a waste. We all know those people who are so afraid of death that they rarely leave their homes. And although they're considered oddballs by our standards, maybe they're on to something. Maybe they aren't using their knowledge of death in the most effective way, but at least they realize something we would all benefit from understanding. Everything is fleeting. Nothing is guaranteed. We could breathe our last breath tonight, tomorrow, three seconds from now. In all honesty, there's a good chance that I'm just full of crap. I've had epiphanies of the concept of death several times in my life. And each time, I forget this life-changing thought just days later. That being said, I guess all anyone can ever do is remember the value that life has, but not dwell on understanding something most people will never be able to wrap their minds around. So what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? God, for being my rock. Family and friends, for their love. My dog, for being the most compassionate creature i know. Books, for keeping me sane. Movies, for providing yet another escape. But ultimately, I guess I'm thankful for my life. It's all I have. It's really all any of us have. Death is the future, but life is the present. To use the knowledge of the future to emphasize the present is, in my young opinion, the best way to live. It's the best way to see our blessings, and to understand what to change.
About a year ago, I saw a poster in my school's theater room. The quote on the poster was taken from a one act play they did about the Holocaust a few years back. It speaks to me every single time I see it. Hopefully it does the same for you.
"In this place, to feel at all is a blessing.You must concentrate on one thing,and one thing only,and that is to create all the beautyyou are capable of.You have to lookand seeso that you can tell them when it's over.Live."
Link to Jamie's blog (which I highly recommend visiting):
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=61976377&blogID=452389320
1 comment:
I love to read your writing and especially the "life" and personality you put into it. You had me thinking about thanking God for life - I think commonly we hear of giving thanks for our health or for today, etc. - which is similar, it's just worded differently. I like the directness of your thanksgiving. This also made me think of the many people in this world who wake up and don't have much else to be thankful for than their life and the love of God and others.
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