The circle of life

A dear friend died the other day.  And when people die the moment is one for reflection. To realize that there is a circle to life. We all have our time - to come and to go. In between we do our share of service to ourselves and to others. Joy and sorrows are a part of life. Our life begins with joy and laughter from others as we come out crying and we exit when our time is done with laughter in our hearts and leaving shimmering tears in the eyes of our loved ones. What a reverse? But such is life. And so are the ups and downs that characterize our life on this earth. For us to be living a fulfilling life with the least amount of stress we need to accept the joys and sorrows that cross our path with equanimity. The circle of life will have to be enacted for life to flow as it should. Circumventing it will bring conflict and sorrow. The young will grow to be youth, progress to the grey years and finally make our exit -- some say it's a passing over, some say it's death. The experience and wisdom reaped in the life lived will be what drives, energizes and sustains the generations that will come after us. An awareness of this dynamic is essential for us to feed the future with the stuff that will make tomorrow better than today. It is this awareness that will lay the foundation to love and social harmony rather than confusion and conflict.

In our sphere of family, education, health, and even governance, the circle plays out its ecological role. Learning, experiencing and discharging accumulated wisdom is the path life leads. A parent cannot be younger than the child, the teacher than the student, and the leader than the led. Wisdom builds on itself to make each successive group of human beings richer in knowledge and experience. To the degree we use this gift of Providence with abandon will lay the foundations and sustenance to a harmonious future.