A Question Worth Asking
As Christmas approaches, it’s a natural time to reflect and ask a simple but powerful question: What do you really have? I find that many of my friends have either passed away or moved on as their lives have changed. A close friend recently relocated to Sarasota, Florida, after his two children went off to college and he entered the empty-nest phase. My son will soon move to Texas to raise a family, and my daughter lives in the mountains, six hours away. I’ve also seen many longtime clients leave this earth.
What Remains as Time Passes
At 76, I find myself pondering what I truly have, and the answer is mostly memories. Yes, I’m grateful that many close friends are still alive, and I still work with most of my 2,000 clients. But much of that work now happens remotely on Zoom, and it’s not quite the same as when I first started, filled with hope and aspirations.
Change, Belief, and Inner Life
Life goes on, and change is constant. The United States is no longer the guiding light it once was for democracy, and wars are raging across the world. There is widespread grief, and during times like these, having a strong set of beliefs matters. In the end, beliefs, and the memories attached to them, are what you truly have. Not the million-dollar bank account or the house, as nice as those may be, but the thoughts that shape your inner life.
The Three Phases of Life
We all move through three major phases of life: being born and growing up, working and building relationships, and finally retiring into the so-called golden years. I’ve watched thousands of people move through these phases. We rarely stop to think about them; instead, we accept change and grieve when something disrupts our memories.
Meaning, Dreams, and the Later Years
Each phase carries meaning, hope, and dreams, especially the first two. By the time we reach the later years, many dreams have faded. Yet retirement still requires you to get up and move forward. It is a new life with new challenges. One thing must remain intact: your memories, along with your inner child, your Star of Light, and your connection to God. As we age, we often stop thinking about our past, but if we were to write it all down, we would have a journal that tells the story of our lives.
Aging, Sharing, and Reflection
Growing older brings challenges, and often there are only a few people with whom you can truly share them. Those in the first two phases of life are busy building their futures and rarely think about life’s ending. Christmas, however, is a powerful time for reflection. Religion has instilled many traditions, and music is one of the strongest. Songs like White Christmas and I’ll Be Home for Christmas play year after year in countless stores. It is this repetition and familiarity that helps anchor memory.
Love, Peace, and Compassion
In the Star of Light, we hope that your memories include moments of love and peace, moments when your life was in harmony with your dreams. Each time this happens, it creates lasting memories. One challenge older people often face is truth. Many come to realize that religion and government have not always been honest. They may be wiser, but not necessarily better off.
What we recommend instead is compassion and understanding. These are what most of us need in the world today. It is our hope that the Love and Peace Scriptures presented in One Love, Book 1 can help bridge the gap between all the different phases of life.
