The Way I See It
By Joseph C. Phillips

The Blessing of Life

I can’t watch television without reaching for my glasses. My friends used to discuss women, now they talk about their prostates, cholesterol levels and 401(k)s. Gray hairs are popping up on the top of my head, and even the thought of an “after party” makes me tired. I can’t deny it any longer; I am getting older.

I am not suggesting I am a senior citizen. Don’t get me wrong. There is still plenty of glide in my stride. Still, the hard truth is that there are more years behind me than in front of me. Who thinks such morose thoughts? Apparently I do. I celebrated my 43rd birthday recently and my mind has been turning this fact over and over ever since.

In his book “You Can’t Shove A Great Life Into A Small Bucket,” my friend Tony Magee tells a story about looking at the engraving on his mother’s tombstone. Carved into the granite was her name, the date she entered the world and the date she exited. Her entire life, the three children she raised, the friends she laughed with and gave comfort to, and all of the wonderful memories she created for Tony’s family are all summarized by one hyphen between two dates.

Life is ultimately very short and fragile. As the good book says our lives are but a “vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and vanisheth away.”
That, however, does not make our lives insignificant. The mistake would be to reason that our time here on earth, no matter how brief, is merely the result of a chance meeting between sperm and egg. We do not have life by accident, but by blessing. So rather than ruminate on how many days I may or may not have left, it might behoove me to consider what I have been doing with my blessing.

Have I hugged enough? Have I laughed enough? Cried enough? Made enough love? Have I read enough books? Smiled at enough babies? Sang enough songs? Seen enough of the world? Have I played enough? Prayed enough? Not nearly! I do know that I have watched a lot of television, probably slept more than I’ve needed to. I’ve spent more time than I care to remember wallowing in self-pity and worrying about things I could not change.

In his book, Magee asks: “What can you do to make your life an awesome life?” I imagine I can begin by asking myself if from this day forward I am going to fuss at my kids or if I am going to laugh with them? Am I going to fight with my wife or make love to her? Am I going to shake my fist and whine that destiny did not see fit to make all of my dreams come true or am I going to decide that my life has purpose and continue to work towards my goals?

Chances are that during the rest of my life I will do a bit of both. The trick is to begin to discipline my children and laugh with them more. I can disagree with my wife and love her more deeply because of it and I can face disappointment with joy for having had an opportunity. Time marches in one direction – forward. The good book also says, “we know not what shall be on the morrow.”
Brief, precious life.

I don’t want to miss this blessing! But first -- to paraphrase the funk band Parliament Funkadelic -- I had better put on my bi-focals so I can see what I’m doin’.

Send me your ways of seeing it at Josephcp@netlistings.com