The Meaning of my Life
As a Senior Citizen ...
As a senior citizen, have I found the meaning of my life? Through the many different stages of my life, my answer to the question might have been very different. But today, at the age I am right now, the meaning of my life is the sum of all my memories.
I've had to learn that building meaningful memories meant I had to open my heart and be vulnerable. It was frightening at times, trusting in love, trusting in someone else, even trusting in me, but I’m happy I did. It wasn’t easy, but then nothing in life is easy, if it’s something meaningful and worth having.
Saved in my memories is everything that ever brought me great joy and happiness. Also there, is everything that ever brought great sorrow, pain, and loss and the many hard lessons I never want to repeat.
Acceptance has been the key for them to co-exist. Forgiveness has allowed them to be co-dependent —-and I’ve found I can't have one without all the others.
The meaning of my life is the sum of all of my memories.
My greatest hope is to make many more memories before I’m done here. I also want to share some of what I’ve learned with my grandchildren —if I can keep them from making any of the same mistakes, it would further validate my purpose for being here.
So, should I ever suffer from Alzheimer’s or Dementia, one by one those collective memories would all cease to be. With them would go the meaning, the entire purpose, of my life.
When I Finally Close My Eyes
When I close my eyes
for the last time,Â
I want to have lived,Â
really lived.
I want to know I've tastedÂ
the smorgasbord of life,
having relished the good
and spat the bad back out,Â
knowing at least I tried it.
When I'm done here,Â
I don't want to wonder
whether someone caught
the kiss I threw,Â
I will know.
I don't want to leave this life
with a heart as emptyÂ
as my pockets have always been.
I want to know, without a doubt,
I've left something of me behind,Â
-- something that's good,
not regret,
for never making a difference.
When I close my eyesÂ
for the very last time,Â
I would like
someone to remember
... I was here.Â
There are no guarantees, of course, and who am I to say? But, I think it's pretty obvious that to those to whom you matter most and who matter most to you, you will be remembered, your words in stories, memories, and poetry will always be with them and their children, too. You won't merely be remembered, but you will be known. There are thousands of famous people who are remembered by the world, but does anyone actually know them outside of their names and particular claim to fame?