life and death

by larc 6 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  larc

  When I was a young man, I didn't think about death. In my 20's, I thought life would go on forever. Now, that I have lived 6 months longer than my father, and my wife is faced with a life threatening situation, my views are quite different.

  I have to ask myself what I want to accomplish before I die. Well, I have almost accomplished that on a cerebral level. I have transferred my knowledge to a younger collegue, so he can carry the torch. That is a good thing.

  On an interpersonal level, I am at peace with my wife and my children. That was not always the case, but it is now, and feel very good about that.

  I don't know how my random thoughts will help you, but I hope they do.

  Take care, dear friends.
• 

  Cygnus

  Larc, I appreciate your words. Going through open heart surgery at 30 years old wasn't in my plans; at first the news was shocking (I was hoping/expecting I'd simply have to change my diet) but now it is sobering. When my heart skips around a little now, or my rate heart goes up, even though I should have little to worry about, thoughts of it stopping and me gasping for my last breaths sometimes fill my mind.

  I am in the process of reevaluating a lot of things in my life, because I feel like I've wasted a lot of time and energy on things that really aren't important. So I appreciate posts like yours which give me pause for relection and contemplation.
• 

  Vivamus

  In my twenties, and yet I am thinking on the same subject. I think in the end, all that matters is that you have loved, and are loved. I don't think there is a greater accomplishment in life, than having made a difference in the life of other, a difference for the better. When a loved one dies, he/she is remembered, and by the act of remembrance that deceased person lives on.

  Love is all that matters.

  Hugs, Viv.
• 

  larc

  Viv,

  I think you are right. Love is all that counts.
• 

  COMF

  Thanks for your thoughts, larc. Please keep them coming.
• 

  LB

  Yep I've had a couple of touch and go's with surgery myself. How's that old adage go? If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself? Yeah right. Of course I'm not like Cyg undergoing serious operations at age 30. I was still immortal at 30.

  Now I'm just an immature old guy who plans to live every day like tomorrow isn't coming.
• 

  Introspection

  Ah, those two things.. Not to get too abstract about it, but I guess you can say that to me you can only really live if you let the past die, I don't mean from years ago but each moment, and seeing life with that newness constantly just ... brings it to life!

  Today I ran into a JW friend that I used to hang out with a bit back in the day, and although he wanted to know what's up with me as far as going to meetings and things are concerned, I found myself pointing back to love as the important thing even though he was reiterating many of the party lines. At one point he was questioning my spiritual well being by not being at the meetings and I asked him: 'Do you think I would be having a conversation like this with you if I needed a void to be filled?' and 'How often do you have a conversation like this with active witnesses?' So I'm afraid I wasn't following the apostate example of bashing his belief system into a pulp, (though I gave him atleast one thing to think about, probably wasn't wasted on a psych student) but I think it basically ended on a positive note. On the other hand, it could very well be that on a psychological level I didn't make a very big difference, but as we talked for 3 hours I think somewhere down the line he might remember the conversation and even be comforted by it if his world comes crashing down on him. Who knows, he may be a witness for the rest of his life, but even if that's the case maybe something as simple as pointing to love will make it worth living.