This question made me stop playing https://block-blastonline.com Block Blast and think seriously. The truly valuable things in my life are health, beautiful memories, and people who love me unconditionally. No one can take those things away from me.
They say
that you can’t take it with you,
(usually meaning money
when you die),
but there are other ways to lose in life . . .
war,
natural and man-made disaster,
and illnesses,
such as dementia.
When these things visit us
we can lose our money,
our worldly goods,
our skills and talents,
our mobility,
and our memories.
I cared for dementia patients for many years,
and I often wondered
what was left.
A man who was a musician and enjoyed singing
was virtually silent . . .
needed to be fed and clothed,
would come to life
when someone sat down at the piano . . .
he knew the words and the melody
to all of the songs of his youth.
What was left when the music stopped?
And the dancer
who completed all of the ballet moves
from her wheel chair
when Swan Lake played on the turntable.
What was left when her music stopped?
Neither one
recognized their own children
or me from day to day.
Neither one
noticed the weather outside their windows.
Everything was gone,
except some small thing inside of them
that still answered the call of life.
They no longer cared about riches
or family
or that trip to Paris where they fell in love
again.
They don’t remember the garden they tended
or the school they went to
or the pain of losing a loved one.
What was left when the memories stopped?
I have no idea
what riches will be taken from me, . . .
I won’t grieve too much
(comparatively speaking)
when the possessions fall away
or my ego,
which has made me socially acceptable,
but I don’t know what will be left after that . . .
my essence.
I am more than my ego,
and more than my memories,
more than my accomplishments,
more even than my relationships.
So I am not sure
what will remain . . .
my love
and my kind heart.
At least,
I hope. ♥
My dear brother in law died of Alzheimer´s disease, and my heart knew when we played pétanque for the last time. I was so sad to feeling he would be gone while still being among us for a while. At least. And then he was gone, first into hospital and then into a home where he could be looked after by caring and kind people. What lasts, is the love for him, living on in his wife and his daughter and and in me and his love offered. And I agree with you, dear Joseph and dear Sparrow, the inner intelligence, consciousness, the essence lasts … perhapts! May be this is what i want to believe, but something inside knows that nothing which is is ever lost, and so as well these essential qualities of a life lived which is part of the mystery we all share intimately. It is held in His Love. Thank you dearly for your posts.
Thank you so much,
dear Ose,
for your thoughtful reflection,
which touches on what has been in me
about all of this.
I grieve with you
for what happened with your brother
and know this sorrow as well.
That is why
I have brought it into my thoughts
about what lies beneath
who we think we are . . .
we are more than that.
Bless you,
my friend,
and bless your essence. ♥
4
EnnDee
3 weeks ago
Some riches I have are curiosity and love of learning. I would like to think that they would never be lost to me, but maybe it is more accurate to think that curiosity and love of learning take paths from one generation to the next. Curiosity and love of learning seem to be found naturally in every young child, but I have also seen that curiosity and love of learning in my parents, in my children, and now, in my adult grandchildren.
Ah yes, the stuff that really matters.
A couple of things would be, connections and experiences. The people that I’m connected to are such an important part of my life. Maybe the most important. This is why I actively try to stay connected to the people that I love.
My lived experiences make up who I am and cannot be taken away. This is what makes me rich. This is what gives me a unique perspective. In the end, this is all we have. All the material stuff is just borrowed.
Self respect & love for myself.
My integrity. Honesty.
My moral compass.
Love for my daughter, it’s unconditional.
My faith.
Gratefulness.
The resilience I have earned after so many years of “hard knocks”.
Movement. I gotta walk!!!
My love for Mother Nature & all her glory.
My appreciation for art, poetry, great literature, music.
My curiosity.
🕊️🩷 to All.
The ability to see beauty. The ability to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. The ability to be present. The ability to love. Namaste all.
Peace, Love & Light
Like you,
I don’t believe,
dear Joseph,
that your deepest values
can ever be lost or taken away.
What a comfort that is
during a dark night of the soul. ♥
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
This question made me stop playing https://block-blastonline.com Block Blast and think seriously. The truly valuable things in my life are health, beautiful memories, and people who love me unconditionally. No one can take those things away from me.
God/life
Beautiful memories of 66 years of life!!💕
The thing that enriches my life and cannot be lost is my empathy for vulnerable creatures. It is an initial gift from God. ❤️
They say
that you can’t take it with you,
(usually meaning money
when you die),
but there are other ways to lose in life . . .
war,
natural and man-made disaster,
and illnesses,
such as dementia.
When these things visit us
we can lose our money,
our worldly goods,
our skills and talents,
our mobility,
and our memories.
I cared for dementia patients for many years,
and I often wondered
what was left.
A man who was a musician and enjoyed singing
was virtually silent . . .
needed to be fed and clothed,
would come to life
when someone sat down at the piano . . .
he knew the words and the melody
to all of the songs of his youth.
What was left when the music stopped?
And the dancer
who completed all of the ballet moves
from her wheel chair
when Swan Lake played on the turntable.
What was left when her music stopped?
Neither one
recognized their own children
or me from day to day.
Neither one
noticed the weather outside their windows.
Everything was gone,
except some small thing inside of them
that still answered the call of life.
They no longer cared about riches
or family
or that trip to Paris where they fell in love
again.
They don’t remember the garden they tended
or the school they went to
or the pain of losing a loved one.
What was left when the memories stopped?
I have no idea
what riches will be taken from me, . . .
I won’t grieve too much
(comparatively speaking)
when the possessions fall away
or my ego,
which has made me socially acceptable,
but I don’t know what will be left after that . . .
my essence.
I am more than my ego,
and more than my memories,
more than my accomplishments,
more even than my relationships.
So I am not sure
what will remain . . .
my love
and my kind heart.
At least,
I hope. ♥
The inner intelligence; consciousness; the essence. All waiting patiently for the form to release them from this worldly bondage . . . . .perhaps?
I’ve been thinking the same thing,
dear Joseph. ♥
My dear brother in law died of Alzheimer´s disease, and my heart knew when we played pétanque for the last time. I was so sad to feeling he would be gone while still being among us for a while. At least. And then he was gone, first into hospital and then into a home where he could be looked after by caring and kind people. What lasts, is the love for him, living on in his wife and his daughter and and in me and his love offered. And I agree with you, dear Joseph and dear Sparrow, the inner intelligence, consciousness, the essence lasts … perhapts! May be this is what i want to believe, but something inside knows that nothing which is is ever lost, and so as well these essential qualities of a life lived which is part of the mystery we all share intimately. It is held in His Love. Thank you dearly for your posts.
Thank you so much,
dear Ose,
for your thoughtful reflection,
which touches on what has been in me
about all of this.
I grieve with you
for what happened with your brother
and know this sorrow as well.
That is why
I have brought it into my thoughts
about what lies beneath
who we think we are . . .
we are more than that.
Bless you,
my friend,
and bless your essence. ♥
Some riches I have are curiosity and love of learning. I would like to think that they would never be lost to me, but maybe it is more accurate to think that curiosity and love of learning take paths from one generation to the next. Curiosity and love of learning seem to be found naturally in every young child, but I have also seen that curiosity and love of learning in my parents, in my children, and now, in my adult grandchildren.
Ah yes, the stuff that really matters.
A couple of things would be, connections and experiences. The people that I’m connected to are such an important part of my life. Maybe the most important. This is why I actively try to stay connected to the people that I love.
My lived experiences make up who I am and cannot be taken away. This is what makes me rich. This is what gives me a unique perspective. In the end, this is all we have. All the material stuff is just borrowed.
I like that,
dear Charlie . . .
“All the material stuff is just borrowed.” 🙂
Self respect & love for myself.
My integrity. Honesty.
My moral compass.
Love for my daughter, it’s unconditional.
My faith.
Gratefulness.
The resilience I have earned after so many years of “hard knocks”.
Movement. I gotta walk!!!
My love for Mother Nature & all her glory.
My appreciation for art, poetry, great literature, music.
My curiosity.
🕊️🩷 to All.
Inner love, compassion, gratefulness, discernment, curiosity, friendliness.
My spirituality. I also hope my values will not be lost.
My faith.
The self awareness I have gained through both joy and sorrow.
Carol Ann, I’m with you on that and certainly have gained a lot of it over the last few weeks.
gratefulness, integrity, love, honesty
TGIF
https://nationaltoday.com/national-donut-day/
All great ones, Michele. That sums up my handling of Ngoc’s absence in a nutshell this go-around.
The ability to see beauty. The ability to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. The ability to be present. The ability to love. Namaste all.
Peace, Love & Light
Like you,
I don’t believe,
dear Joseph,
that your deepest values
can ever be lost or taken away.
What a comfort that is
during a dark night of the soul. ♥
Love and Universal Truth ✨
Sunnypatti, John 8:32 says “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”