At last! I have flown my last flight for 2014. I am back with my family and soon to catch up with a ton of friends over many glasses of champagne and I can't wait!
I watched one of those year in review montages they show at this time of year, and I was struck by how dramatic this year has been. The Sydney siege this week was just another in a long line of events that have shaken the globe (Malaysian Airlines disasters, Pakistan school shootings, Sony hackings). Things that seemed simple and straight-forward and almost inalienable are now vulnerable - overseas travel, going to school, getting a coffee, writing an email, playing cricket - which in turn makes us feel vulnerable. Each time one of these events occurs, the little dial on our Fear Gauge is affected. But I don't believe you can let these things stop you from living your authentic life. We are here now and for such a short time - savouring what we have, preserving it for others to enjoy, and improving and creating greater things for others. In the scheme of things, I think that's part of why we're here as a species and why we have flourished.
And another (strange) thought that I had, as I tried to make sense of the death of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnston, was the other reason we're on this planet. I believe that when we die, we die. But we're not 100% gone. There are fragments of us left in the memories we leave behind, and the children we create, and the people whose lives we touch. There is an element of you in your child. There is the memory of you that may cause someone to do something - whether it be for them self or for others. There is the blessing a person feels and reflects upon for having met you. So in that way, we don't die - we are kept alive in the flesh, deeds and thoughts of others. And that is a terribly humbling thought, don't you think? And maybe persuades us to do better, be kinder, more generous and more open with our affections.
So I hope your Christmas is warm, lovely and champagne soaked. And that 2015 is the year we strive to do better. Merry Christmas, and happy Friday xo
No comments:
Post a Comment