THE VALUE OF A LIFE

Those of you who have followed along know the subject of "life" comes up fairly often. While I try and entertain, the REAL goal here isn't to preach or tell anyone what they should do. I won't start now...

But I DO ask questions....

With the passing of Mom's ex, the finality of death comes into focus quite clearly. The past postings [here] covered a few things related to someone passing and/or looking into the mirror and facing reality. When faced with someone close to you passing away, there is usually a time for reflection and re-examination. This time I wondered about the lasting value of ANY human being.

If you have one person or one hundred thousand come to your funeral, does it make your life more meaningful? You may have touched lives, which of course has a definite worth. How and to what extent is measured after your absence. Did you instill a belief or redirect the path of someone going the wrong way? Did you show that happiness and joy are a choice? Will you be the subject of stories for years after your passing? What type of tales will be told? Ones you can be proud of? Does it matter to you?

When a celebrity passes, some people truly are in mourning. It seems strange to me until I remember how I reacted when Elvis never came out of the bathroom. It hurt. The pain wasn't for the person we didn't know. It was for the loss of that person going forward in our life. No more anticipation of a new movie/song/contribution to society.... and us. No more hope to meet them in person. No more of ANYTHING but the past. Prince had an effect on people, and they truly feel the emptiness of a world without him. What was HIS value beyond net worth? Does his family fighting over his estate diminish his legacy because he failed to plan for his own demise?

What if you had kids? Is THAT the only true requirement of life on Earth? To pro-create? What if the children that carry your blood forward do not care if you still breathe? What if all they know of you is your ability to be invisible to them? What if they are your best friends? What if they depend on you past the point of childhood? What will they say about you when asked? Is it too late to have great memories?

What if you DIDN'T have kids? Does that mean you LOSE at life? No legacy to carry on. No additional branches on the family tree. Is your affect on friends enough to make you comfortable with your existence? Are you comfortable enough TODAY be proud of a life well-led?

If not, then what will you do about it? Not later today, tomorrow, or next New Years. NOW. The one thing about decisions is that we mostly make them when we HAVE to. Planners do it in advance but they are a little weird right??? What do you regret today that you can unregret soon? What have you put off that can be done without more time going by? What do you wish you would have done that always got back-burnered?

If you ARE good with how you will leave this Earth tonight, then congratulations.... you win at life. If you aren't SURE, then ask a few close friends for their opinion. You may be surprised what they tell you...