Life...

How is a person's life defined? By the monetary gains that they have experienced throughout their years of living? Through their successes, advancements, awards, career? Through their decisions, region of residence, faults, losses or wins? Or is someone's definition of their life something that they believe in...a quote? a lyric? a movie? Something that resonates within that person's soul? Soul. Interesting and deep word. A life is something that has a span of years of living, breathing, moving, talking. A soul is something much deeper - an energy, something that can be carried on through eons and eons; it experiences so much more. A body is just the shell for the soul. When someone passes on, they just leave this material world and their body behind, but their soul lives on to continue to effect those that they have blessed with their presence in their lives.

The hardest part about the end of one's life, is that you will not have this person's touch, smile, or embrace to warm you and make you laugh or feel loved each day. Instead, you will have the memories of these smiles, of your laughing fits, of the stories told and the inside jokes that were shared. However, you will also have that perfume on the breeze reminding you that this soul is watching over you, that caress of your face to let you know that everything is ok, that feeling of electricity through your veins to let you know that you are loved and being looked after.

My good friend, Margot (age 98) is at the crossroads point in her life, and selfishly, I wish for her to stay behind, although I know God has other plans for her brilliant, beautiful, and amazing soul. This woman has made me laugh, she has made smile, she has made me rethink things in life, she has made me believe in myself when there was doubt, she taught me how to be strong, and she taught me how to live. Here is a woman who prided herself on everything she has done, being able to "talk and get paid for it" (she was a tour guide in NYC...imagine, someone who talked as much as me), relished in her adventures around the world and the accomplishments she has acquired, she enjoyed every moment of life, and is not scared for this future that is ahead. One of my favorite quotes from her (among MANY) is "If I wake up in the morning and I know who I am and where I am, it's a perfect day." She has this insane humor about everything.

I'm really glad I was able to see her in the hospital when I visited New York in March and give her a kiss and a hug. She was also thrilled to see me. Apparently, she still always talks about it. For me, it makes sense for someone who is has lived 98 years of life to have made such an impact and a difference on my life. For me to hear that I, who have only been around for 25 years, have made the same impact and difference on that 98 year old brings me to tears because it's something one would never think is possible. Age is just a number...everyone has something to share, to teach, to learn from.

This brings me back to my original question, what is it that defines a person's life? Maybe it's defined by the lives you have touched and the lives that have touched you...Maybe it's from the love that you share with another person. I don't think it matters. I think what is important is that you live today the way you want to live it because why would you ever waste a day on regret or sadness when you could have had a beautiful spirit like Margot's to influence your life.

Smile. Live. Love.

Margot, you are in my prayers...Margot during one of our Intergenerational classes.