My next door neighbour, a guy in his 80's passed away couple of weeks ago. We share a fence, we have talked, and I knew he had been in and out of hospital more than a couple of times in the last few months, yet I am unaware of his name, and never got to interact meaningfully with him. Partly because maybe he didn't want to , partly because it just wasn't worth going the extra step to be friends with someone who was a loner. The garden that he loved is still blooming, nothing has changed.
We human beings are social animals, we need people,we need to connect. The more I live, the more I realize, that living a well-rounded life, means touching other people's lives. Reaching out to others and connecting to them, bringing a smile, wiping a tear is all that is left after we are gone. Nothing else matters, because what we leave behind are just memories in other people's heart.
How do we measure how well-lived our lives have been? We all talk about success, we all talk about achieving our goals, but ultimately what defines a fully lived life? The power, the money, well-raised kids, good status in society..? Isn't it all futile, if we haven't reached out and healed a heart or brought joy in someone else's life?
Our presence on this planet is so inconsequential, so meaningless, that only building bridges through heart, only giving and caring brings any semblance to it. To build relations, to touch everyone who you meet, to spread a little cheer, a little warmth, maybe that is the way we leave a part of ourselves long after we are gone. Those memories, those kind words, those loving deeds are what living is all about .
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