Goodbye old friend
I heard the statement tonight in a film I was watching.
A warrior stands over a friends grave and says “Goodbye, old friend. We’ll be along soon”
I have stood and thought that too many times, but I kept coming back alive.
Lucky? Good at what I did? Who knows?
I have come to believe we all have a certain “span” allotted and nothing can change that, certainly not us, no matter what we chose to do (short of suicide, perhaps).
I tend to believe now that we have a start point (birth) and an end point (death), but between the two we can chose freely what we do.
In the end, our end is pretty much fixed. Our choice is whether we get there in happiness and love or in hatred and misery.
I will not comment on my progression to my end, but i recommend happiness and love as the road.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
Good post Way…..yes….its a puzzle……some die young….some live to be ancient….I think it’s not how long we live that really matters…..but how we live…..what we leave behind…..do people remember that we loved them…..or………did we make their lives a misery…..I choose the former too….xxxxx M
There is a saying. “no-one really dies until their name is forgotten”
Friends don’t forget you.
That is so true way, a friend died fifty years ago and I think of him and others who have passed every day. Can still see all their faces clearly.
So very true , but how long will it be until us mere mortals name is forgotten ?
My husband died 23 years ago , I still live in the house we renovated together . So wherever I look I can see reminders of his time here on earth . He also lives on in my memory and to a lesser degree on that of our sons .
He died young ,he didn’t get to see his sons grow up and have families of their own .
My sons still haven’t fathered any children yet , and I’m unsure if they ever will.
So , the day I pass our house will probably be demolish to re-develop ,erasing with it all traces of my late’s husband work , and if I don’t live to see any gran kids means that our memory will live as long as our kids live and then there will be no trace of us left on earth !
So I better do something about it ! 🙂
Any suggestions ?
Are you Achilles? Hector? Why should you, or me come to that, be remembered beyond our friends and children?
What matter that we are lost to history? We did our best and that’s all anyone can ask.
Beyond that? We are dust.
Be happy with those who have fond memories of you. No-one can ask more than that.
Hahaha…. I LOVE THIS ANSWER ! I don’t know why but I DO ! It put a big grin on my face …
I’m not worried about how long I’m going to be remembered for …I was only stating a reality for most of us !
My last sentence asking for suggestions was made tongue in cheek …I didn’t expect to be taken seriously !
It’s true that to have done our best is more than we can ask for , for most of us anyway !
However ,we have to admit that there are many others who would love to live on in some way …and why not ?
If we think about it , we will find that we all have made some contribution to life and this world ,and although it may not have our name imprinted on it , it’s still valid !
In my case for example …I worked with children for almost 30 years , I’ve helped hundreds of families to raise happy , loving , well adjusted children ..
These children grow up to be happy , loving , well adjusted adults , who will in turn raise their own happy , loving , well adjusted children and so on and on .
I’d like to think that this will be my legacy to the world and society ” my piece of immortality ” .
I have been thinking about your question nmod. Yesterday a long standing friend called in, we worked together in the 60ies. We have both lived in same town, now city, for around the fifty year mark. She wanted to tell me that a web site had been created for putting pics of people and places when our town was young and she was delighted to see posts and comments by some of our old friends on our early days and wanted to give me the addy. I think a lot of people young and senior are interested in the history of where they live. Maybe you have a similar site for your place, where you could post pictures of the home you and your husband created and your story, if not maybe create a web site. Traces of you both would be here forever. Just a thought my friend xxx
sorry nmod misunderstood
done with blogs now
Thank you skippy , my loving friend ! The comment was made tongue in cheek .
I didn’t expect to be taken seriously , however I think your suggestions are great !
After all we are part of history ! We may not be written into books but hey ! We are here! xxx
Oh no ! Don’t be sorry ! I loved your suggestions !
I will look into it …
I’m sure others will appreciate it also !
Love always xx
Good post way, yes happiness and love is the way to go xxx
Good post !! Happiness and love makes us and everyone’s life we touch feel lighter and free, hatred and misery fill us and any ones life we touch feel trapped in the cold and dark— i say keep it light and free xx
Great post!
It matters not how long we live, but how. ~ Philip James Bailey,
Wonderful post Way, thank you. No doubt love is the way to go. Both giving and receiving. Loving someone whether as a child, young adult, grown up or senior – then we have enriched their life and our lives have been enriched as well. Even when love is lost it still brought us joy, magic, and warmth, and chances are we’ve grown from it and are a better person. And we can love others again. Love is miraculous – we have the capability to love more than one person at a time. True love for someone transcends time residing in our heart always. We all have a light within us, a light of love that we can choose to share and burn brightly or we can choose to keep it within a slow burning ember. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone glowed brightly? Helen
Beautifully said Helen, so much wisdom in your words , thank you .
way I admire you insight, I had the most loving aunt that raised me and taught me the values of life, in a very profound way, she taught me that above all, love is the only thing that matters, share that love around with whomsoever you touch, let them see and feel the love that abounds in you , reach out to all from the lowest to the highest that come across your path, she said it doesnt matter if you are misunderstood or doubted or critisized or told you are unreal, go through life as if every day is your last and touch someone with a loving gesture a loving kiss and an embrace, my life has always been a precarious one with health issues and I do believe I have been kept here on earth to continue on my aunts loving legacy, as humble as I do feel about that, her loving kindness and thoughts and deeds will come through me as long as I live., I am her loving instrument and proud to be so.xxx
So nice to hear , thank you
Hi Waylander. I’m (still) having connectivity issues, with my computer . . . but I am glad and grateful that I was able to log on and read your blog. Did you write it? It’s beautiful . . . tender, thought-provoking and beautiful. I agree with all you said. Thank you for saying/sharing it. Bright Blessings, Faerie
Yes, I wrote it. Anything I put in blogs that is not mine is either in quote marks, attributed to the author or I state that I don’t know or can’t remember the author.