Sunset of Life

Time is such an odd commodity. Some moments seem like days, and some years seem like moments. Without a doubt, my heart is tender right now with the passing of so many of late. 

This morning, I posted a controversial commercial on Facebook about an elder man who faked his death to get his family all together for Christmas. You can take a look and decide for yourself if you think it extreme, cruel, or crazy, but making time to be with those you care about is none of these—it is vital.

This month a term insurance policy I have had for over a decade has ended and the cost of the coverage has skyrocketed. I remember thinking last year, "If I am going to die soon, let it be while we have this policy in force." Now, looking at the options, determining if it makes sense to pay this higher rate to keep the coverage, I said, "We know for sure we will collect at some point. Let's pay the premium." 

I am not depressed in the face of all of the recent losses. If anything, the losses have allowed me to be more aware of the gift of each moment. The taste of my favorite tea, crawling into a warm bed, the smell of a busy kitchen—these each feel like precious opportunities given for me to savor. 

If we were looking at chakra development, you might say we are intimately aware of the seventh chakra: the Crown. In, Anatomy of the Spirit, Caroline Myss writes: “Live in the Present Moment." Myss says this is the chakra of the spirit: extreme unction, Keter. We need to be open and attentive to the constant guidance we receive each day.

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, in The Palm Tree of Devorah, writes: "One's thoughts should be pure, one's forehead should display no harshness, one's ears should always turn to hear good, one's eyes should distance themselves from noticing evil, always looking at the good, one's nose should be free from the breath of anger, one's face should always shine, and his mouth should express nothing except good."

When is this guidance not appropriate? Goodness, it seems we want to honor this energy every day of our lives. Of course, it may take facing the sunset of life to remember how important letting our face shine each day of our lives actually is….