A Hope To Change

It occurred to me last Sunday while reading the newspaper that, more and more, I've been spending what many may seem as an inordinate amount of time reading obituaries. I'm absolutely fascinated at the glimpse of a recently deceased life and their final punctuation before heading off into the infinite abyss.

It's entirely sad how many people die from cancer at such a young age. Those are the hardest to read for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I've reached a point of middle-age where many of the dead are far younger than I. Sadly, these people die far before their full potential has been reached, probably hanging on for their every last breath to make sure that the family they leave behind, including small children, are prepared to live and thrive without them. This is why the cancer obituaries nearly always include the persons "courageous battle" with the disease that they succumb to. While it may read as cliche, it's a well deserved observation.

One obituary from last Sunday jumped from the pages and made me smile though. It was a 74-year-old man that had left a little parting wisdom that we can all take solace in. The man (his name escapes me) believed that, "what people need most in life is compassion and love. They don't need advice and most certainly don't need judgement".

Wow.

Those words stuck to me, like blame on a politician, as I watched the Presidential transfer of power on Tuesday. The outgoing President, head held high with no visible regret, handed the reigns of responsibility to an eager new President that will now be in charge of balancing a temperament of blaming his predecessor and accepting full accountability for his administrative decisions.

There was glaring irony noted in the inaugural proceedings as well. Seeing Dick Cheney being wheeled from the White House in a wheelchair, part metaphor and part severance package, was a picture of ultimate mortality, a reminder that we all reach the same fate in the end.

For some, the end seems to come too soon, while others outlive their shelf life. That's not mine to judge, however we have varying media to nudge our conscience to tell us what we think.

Life is not nearly as quizzical as what's being sold to us through soulful chicken soup, purpose driven pontification or new age karma from an Indian guru.

I am (we are), quite simply, a sum of the choices we make in life, and that's what I (we) will ultimately be judged on. With that, I agree with the obituary philosopher.

Love is a great place to start.

And an even better place to end.