Recently, a neighbor in my community lost her brother to cancer. He was in his mid-forties, and left behind a wife, children, friends. Heartbreaking.
After the tears, I find myself thinking about the ways those of us who are gifted to keep living disease-free sometimes squander our daily lives. There was a game we used to play as children, “what would you do if you had three wishes? (and of course the rules stipulated that you could not wish for more wishes). Or, sometimes, “what would you do if you only had 10 days to live?”
What WOULD you do? How would you live if every moment mattered? Are you caught in the grind of daily living? Are you held back by fear and anxiety? Maybe you find joy in small moments. Maybe you live your principles and values. Perhaps, like most of us, your life includes a little of all these things, good and bad. I know mine does. But when I or someone I know experiences a loss, along with the grieving comes the reminder to try to find joy and meaning too.
I don’t believe that good things happen to good people, or bad to bad. I think the universe is filled with random chance. Our job is to watch the roll of the dice, and see what we can do to give meaning to the game. The challenge I leave you with is to seek out meaning, find joy, live a life that adheres to your personal values – even if at times you are grieving while you do it.