Earth is small...

It's really is difficult to comprehend the vastness of the Universe in which we live. The image below is yet another that attempt to put a little perspective on how small we really are in comparison to what else is out there.

Earth is small

We really do seem small and insignificant don't we? And sadly, as a species we can't even get along peacefully with our own fellow humans in our tiny little corner of space. When you start to think about things on a bigger scale, all our little problems, differences & disagreements seem pretty trivial and petty. Perhaps ponder on this the next time you think that you're any more or less important than anyone else on this spinning chunk of rock we call Earth.

You were on your way home when you died...

The Egg

By: Andy Weir

You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.

And that’s when you met me.

“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“What about them?”

“Will they be all right?”

“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”

You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”

“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.

“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”

“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”

“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”

“Where you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”

“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”

“So what’s the point of it all?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”

“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”

“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”

“Just me? What about everyone else?”

“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”

You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”

“All you. Different incarnations of you.”

“Wait. I’m everyone!?”

“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“I’m every human being who ever lived?”

“Or who will ever live, yes.”

“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”

“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.

“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.

“And you’re the millions he killed.”

“I’m Jesus?”

“And you’re everyone who followed him.”

You fell silent.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”

You thought for a long time.

“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”

“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”

“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”

“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”

“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”

“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”

And I sent you on your way.

I believe...

... that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

... that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

... that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. Even if you think you can't.

... that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

... that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

... that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

... that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see or talk to them.

... that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

... that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

... that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

... that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

... that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

... that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

... that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

... that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

... that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

... that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

... that no matter how badly your heart is broken, the world won't stop for your grief.

... that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

... that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

... two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

... that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

... that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

... that credentials on the wall do not necessarily make you a decent human being.

... that family is the most important thing in the world.

... that truly learning about other cultures is an awesome gift.

... that nothing sounds better than laughter.

... that kissing in the rain is totally overrated.

... that people may look down on me because I like to have a good time, but at least I'm not sitting at home missing out on life.

... that you should be as generous as you can afford to be, because there are so many people in the world who have nothing.

... that the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.

... that a smile can open so many doors.

... that my life will straighten itself out someday soon.

... that no matter how much you love someone, sometimes it will never work out.

... that missing someone you will never see again gets harder with time, rather than easier.

... that the people you care about most in life are usually taken from you too soon.

Just to put a little perspective on things...

The complexity of simple things...

When I was young, I used to drive my parents nuts with questions. Questions about literally everything that happened to come to mind. "Why is the sky blue? How do birds know which way to fly in the winter? Why can't I keep my eyes open when I sneeze? What makes the sun shine? What holds the road up?" Some of the questions might have seemed ridiculous to an adult, but as a kid, we have a certain fascination and curiosity about everything around us. After all, that's an important part about how we learn... you can't get an answer unless you ask a question. And ask, I did.

Now that I'm an adult, I still question things (probably more so than the average person), but I don't think that's a bad thing. The questions may have changed with time, but the reasoning remains the same. I still consciously try to have that child-like wonder about the world around me.

As we grow older, we get caught up in the everyday rat race and the seemingly simple things that surround us everywhere tend to get less and less of our attention. It's sad, really. When was the last time you actually stopped to admire the beauty and wonder of a simple flower? But not just the smell and colour of it... think about what actually had to take place for that flower to sprout from a seed, take root, grow and eventually blossom. What is it about a seed that allows it to sit dormant for years, but then when it falls upon soil, suddenly gives it the ability to spring forth into such amazing life? The more we look into such supposedly basic things, the more and more complexity we find contained within it. The deeper we look, the more we find.

The Spring season always serves as a wonderful reminder to me of what an amazing world we live in. A renewal and resurgence of life surrounds us. It's just too bad that so many of us are too busy and distracted with "living" our lives to stop and take notice of it. Too many of us have lost the awe and wonder and sense of acceptance that we had as a child - and in doing so, we have become lost ourselves. A child does not worry about tomorrow, nor does he/she fret about yesterday. They live in the moment. A child does not look at something and choose to limit themselves because they are told that it's impossible. They see it vividly in their mind and see themselves accomplishing it. Perhaps if we only took some time to focus on the here and now, and forget for even just a moment the past and the future, we might find ourselves again.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." ~ Matthew 18:2-4

Today I choose not to worry about tomorrow, but to live in joyful anticipation about what lies ahead.

We Remember Them...

At the rising of the sun and at its going down,
We remember them.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
We remember them.

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring,
We remember them.
At the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
We remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
We remember them.
At the beginning of the year and at its end,
We remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength,
We remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart,
We remember them.

When we have days we crave to share,
We remember them.
When we have decisions that are difficult to make,
We remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs,
We remember them.
When we fulfill their dreams, and our own,
We remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live:
For they are now a part of us,
As we remember them.

- variously credited

Farewell to my father & my friend...

On February 19th, 2010 @ 8:20AM I had to say goodbye to you, dad - but I know that one day I will see you again. The struggles you have had with your health never seemed to end, but through it all you lived a life that I will celebrate and remember. No matter the circumstances, you never failed to make the best of it and always chose to put others first before yourself.

I was only four years old when you met and married my mother, and adopted my sisters & I into your life... but from that moment on you were the one person closest to me that I've continually tried to emulate - in actions, in words, and in life. On that day you became more than just a father to me. You've been an anchor to our family, one who's presence will surely be missed. You were a teacher when I needed to learn. You were a doctor when I was hurt. You were a counsellor when I needed advice. You were a mechanic when I needed something fixed. You celebrated with me in my victories, and you encouraged me through my failures. Most importantly, you were always there when I needed you most.

In my life, I hope that I have become the man you've always inspired me to be... and it is my hope that, in your death, I might honour you by ever striving to be the kind of man you were to me. I am forever proud to call you my father, and I am truly honoured to be called your son.

Love always and eternally,
Your son, Todd