Maybe The Best Thing (Bottle #3)
By John R. Greenwood
Here’s what those words mean to me. They may have a different affect on you.
I was in my early fifties when I wrote down that quote. I’m sure it touched a nerve regarding my mortality. As you ease closer and closer toward the other end of the calendar you begin to dissect your life and all its parts. One common theme began to stand out over the last decade. I was happy and content—pleased with the journey. I didn’t need another minute. What I did want was more time to leave a trail. I want to go back and acknowledge those who touched my life along the way. I want more time to look up old friends, relatives, mentors, and neighbors from my past.
Being used up doesn’t mean beaten up, it means leaving as many over-turned stones behind you as possible. Touch as many lives as you can. Spread good thought. Appreciate the simplest moments.
I won’t be able to share these thoughts with the person who adopts Bottle #3 unless they stumble across this piece on my simple obscure blog somewhere down the road. They will have to draw their own conclusion on the meaning of the words on the side of an abandoned bottle. My hope is that those words initiate a pause in the day. A small moment to reflect on the past and a moment to look forward to the future. It would be interesting beyond words if creator and discoverer were to ever meet. I would love to say, “What did you think it meant?”
What about you?
I see it as giving it all away, giving as much as we can, spending our time and energy in ways that do good. So we can, like you, feel content we have spent our time well, and touched some lives along the way. I would love to know who finds these bottles!
ReplyDelete