Life – We are all born, we live and we die. We know not the day or the hour whenour life will end. The recent deaths of young and relatively young persons have no doubt caused many persons to ponder whether they are making the most of the time they have here on earth.
Most persons tend to believe that all human beings have a purpose to serve during our allotted time on earth. The challenge for many of us is identifying and living that purpose. Should our purpose be to improve our personal lives or to seek to improve not only our individual circumstances but also the circumstances of those around us? Why is it that persons with the apparent potential to positively impact individuals, communities, countries and regions often appear to have been taken too soon? Are we so consumed with thoughts of what could or should have been that we fail to see what is?
Very often the impact a person had on another person’s life is unknown. Is it not possible that many of the persons we consider to have gone too soon, have in fact touched and affected quite a few persons? Though a person’s life span may be short, it can possibly have a significant impact on those who have observed or experienced that person’s lifestyle or contribution to home, community and country.
Some persons tend to assign certain lifestyles to certain periods of their lives with the expectation that they will live to a certain age. In their early years, the focus may be on frolic and fun because it is believed that there will be ample time to settle down and engage in meaningful and productive activities. Recent events suggest that persons should be conscious from a young age of the legacy they wish to create. How do you wish to be remembered? What do you want to be remembered for? These are possibly questions that many persons will not think to seriously consider in their early years. It is equally likely that persons who do ponder such questions early in life are likely to be considered boring killjoys.
Whatever our natural inclination maybe, it is obvious that we are living in a time where serious consideration must be given to living a balanced life from a young age. A meaningful and productive life does not mean a life devoid of fun and it is apparent that some persons are already well aware of this and living accordingly. The achievements and contributions of some of our young people are testament to this. These same young people are fun loving, excitement seeking individuals. Just like it is unwise to work tirelessly, while assuming that there will be time after retirement to enjoy life, it is equally unwise to flitter away one’s youth without considering and acting on one’s potential to improve self, home, community, country, region and the world. Balance is important.
Funeral services are often described as an occasion to celebrate the life of the deceased person. Each of us needs to live a life that ensures that we give family, friends, community members and a country reason to celebrate our lives. We create our legacy through our living every day. Let us make every day count.
