the year is drawing to a close in the annual cycle of the earth’s journey around the sun.
soon the days will lengthen noticeably instead of by the current few minutes each day. for now though, we are still in the fertile, dark time…a time of introspection, contemplation, quiet gestation. and we are still in the midst of a global pandemic that has created unimaginable suffering worldwide. there is much to reflect on, much to consider.
earlier this month, the guardian published an article about “life 2.0”. it was written by a man who quite nearly died of cardiac arrest. a journalist, he told his story vividly and with a great deal of self-compassion. there are deep lessons for all of us as elders in his words.
“How do I make the most of Life 2.0?"
"How do I repay society? I have spent a lot of time reflecting on these questions and reviewing my past. At first, this was a mental exercise, then a way to pass the time. In the hospital ward, we were not allowed visitors because of Covid restrictions so on each of the five days, I revisited a different decade of my past, dwelling at length on close relationships, wondrous journeys and joyful moments. Five months on, I still get great pleasure from doing this.”
this process of life review is one of the sacred tasks of the elder. encountering again those significant moments, both the beneficial and the painful, allows us to re-frame and learn from them. it also allows us the time to forgive ourselves and others as we see and hear those experiences in our memories’ vision and hearing.
the author, jonathan watts, also tells us, “I am also trying to live more in the present. It’s a cliche, but for weeks after discharge I marvelled at the simplest things – rainfall, sparrows, insects, cups,
beans, books, chats with family and friends. I swore I would never again waste precious time on stuff I didn’t completely cherish.”
this too becomes an elder’s practice…the spiritual practice of being present to the small things that create a rich life. this can be the foundation of “life 2.0”. though watts admits these commitments are slipping, the re-commitment is alway possible.
as the great poet, rumi, tells us “…even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. come, yet again , come , come.” we can always begin again to notice, to be aware in the present and to live life fully.
to read the entire article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/28/cardiac-arrest-dying