It’s not much, but sometimes just living another day is something, at this point in life. The big question is what to do with it. It’s not so easy as you might think. You’ve already tried (and failed, as the case may be) to live a decent, purposeful life, and now the long dark teatime of the soul, STS, is ahead. But that’s not the topic of this post.
What I really want to say is, I have a brilliant, inspiring son. He has taken on a huge hurdle of a life and is whipping it good! I can’t even begin to translate or understand all the code languages he speaks, not to mention all the other accomplishments and works-in-progress, but I do have a sense of the metaphorical mountains he has taken on, wrestled with, and scaled, on his way to achieving his self-imposed discipline. The average person would be lying beaten in a chasm somewhere, but he never loses sight of his goals . He just takes on each immediate foothill and valley, systematically, not without pain or disorientation, determined to keep moving forward. If he loses sight of the trail, he whips out his trusty metaphorical compass, and gets back on track. I’m going to stop with the ineffective metaphor now, but you get my drift. He’s an inspiration to me every day.
My chance to be someone and do stuff right is probably over, but when I witness my son’s brilliant ideas and accomplishments against all odds, it inspires me to keep living and attempting to make my small, insignificant life count for something. I know I won’t ever leave a legacy like his, but his life gives me something to emulate and admire. Despite his difficult background, he has persevered and created something exceptional, and in so doing, improves the lives of others. Not many people can say that.
I’ll stop now, lest I embarrass him. Also, my esteemed daughter-in-law may have a somewhat different take on all the above! After all, she’s been there through most of the downsides that I never get to see. I know it hasn’t been easy, which is all the more reason for admiration. Living intentionally and not settling for mediocrity is always an uphill battle. But worth it in the end.
