fiction, poems and other general flirtatious happenings
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
317. Von's Journal #5
Von held a small piece of lace his grandmother had given him. It was one thing before, another now. He picked up his journal and made a singular entry:
At the end of the day, what is the measure of one's life.
Since my friend tragically died last Sunday and I have been preparing for the funeral this Friday, I've not been able to think about much else this week. Von's entry is one that last week wouldn't have meant to me what it means now. Like the lace, it changed as my eyes changed. I wish I could convey what that single thought means to me today as I think back on her life. The answer is not always pretty.
This chapter reminds me of the when you used to put a quote under a fractal and leave it open for discussion, interpretation. Everything we see and hear is filtered through the mind, we cover it with our own interpretations, our understanding, our beliefs, and so when they change, so may something that we view, and sometimes in ways that we could never have imagined. What is the measure of one's life is really a very simple question, which is why Von I think turned it into a statement with the absense of a question mark. What do we leave behind, what impact did we have upon others, did we love, were we loved. Very nicely done, even the shortest of chapters, leave a great impression.
Hi :) I wonder if we all might do well do ponder our lives on a regular, daily basis. At the end of the day, perhaps, taking a review to see how we spont those hours may (MAY) help us invest the next chunk of time in a different way...
The WONDERFUL thing is, as long as the sun comes up and we have the breathe and life to enjoy it, we have the chance to do things, say things, think things and BE a different way - if we want. Or spend more time doing some things vs. doing others.
You have such a deep well of feeling and soul, Trée. Big hugs to you. Thanks for sharing it!
Grace, always a pleasure to have you stopping by and saying the things you say. Put the third week of June 2008 on your calendar. I expect gummi bears and amber persuasion. :-D
Shower optional. :-)
I hope you have a safe trip home. What you write is so true. If only we took that time to reflect each day, a few moments of quiet to be, not to do. Instead, we get sucked into the cult of busy-ness.
I was speaking with a good friend of mine this morning that I haven't talked to in a long time. Long story short, a life threatening disease turned him from a work-a-holic to someone who nows stops and smells the roses on a daily basis. Very heartwarming to hear him tell it.
Love and hugs and kisses my dear beautiful friend. :-)
Again, I am so sorry for your loss and it is hard to convey what is in my heart with words.
Death is never easy because we loose someone for the rest of our lives on earth, but the time we spent with that special someone stays with us - and them - forever.
It's impossible to measure one's life for we do not know how that one person touched lives every day, in a little or big way.
She will always be in your heart and all those who loved her.
Thanks Karen. I worry most for her four daughters and especially the one that found her in the pool. That poor child will live the rest of her days with that image in her mind. Still, with life there is death. That is the bargain as we know it. Why we struggle so to accept what we know is inevitable is a mystery. We hang on to what cannot be held and then wonder when our hearts feel ripped out of our chests by that which knows no limitations.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your kind words and thoughts. Very much appreciated. :-)
I cannot imagine the horror her daughter is and will go through after finding her mom like that. It breaks my heart for her and her other daughters. Life doesn't always make sense but one thing that gets me through times like these is knowing that God must have needed her for something special in heaven.
I still struggle with the death of my sister-in-law eight years ago and leaving four children behind. I swear, to this day, every time I am around her children, she's there.
I pray her daughters will be strong and know their mom will never leave them. Ever. I imagine she's counting on all her loved ones to help her children through life now - what an honor that is.
Karen, those are such beautifully comforting thoughts, for anyone who has suffered the loss of someone close. I'm so sorry about your sister-in-law, and the loss especially her children have had to contend with, but they were blessed to have had someone like you to help them when they needed you.
So sorry for your loss and I will be thinking of you on friday. It will be so difficult for the four children but they will benefit from the friendship and love shown to their mum by everybody that attends the funeral.
Sunshine, Jenni, Grace, Kelly, Simon and Jack, thank you all for your thoughts and kind words. I was glad I was able to spend two days with my good friend in his time of need. We didn't say much. There was not much to be said. All in all the visitation and the service went as well as could be expected and the turn out exceeded expectations, which was very nice to see.
Thanks so much for checking in on me while I was out of town. So nice to come back and see your comments. :-)
The journal entry is wonderful.... Something to both think about and adapt one's behavior and life to from here on out...
I am sorry to hear about your friend's young death and the funeral you are preparing for. My empathy for her loss -- and for yours.
I hope you deliver a beautiful eulogy for her.
I know that she will hear it, for our souls linger for several days before making their final journey.
So whether you speak it to her in the privacy of your home, or wherever her memorial service will be held, your words will have meaning, and will matter....
Blessings to you both, soul to soul.
I wanted also to thank you for the nice comments that you have been leaving on my blog. I appreciate it !
I have had no exposure to sci-fi in my life, and have not felt able to contribute anything even remotely intelligent to your posts, which so clearly focus on an area that fascinates you. But I will visit, and also add you to my links tomorrow !
Annie, thank you for your kind words. The service was yesterday and it went about as well as you could want a service to go. I've never seen to many flowers and the number of people who showed up was almost overwhelming. I feel the four girls were very much comforted by the show of support.
As for the story, I try to write on an emotional level and what is happening in this story could just as well be happening in any era or epoch as I try to touch upon universal themes of relationship. Know that you are welcome to comment anytime you like and you are also welcomed to just hang out too.
I've really enjoyed your writing Annie. Thanks for having me. :-)
((( Trée ))) I'm wondering if your trip has lent you any new perspectives on Von's journal entry...For myself, I've been thinking quite a bit about what I want to leave behind me...whether it's today, tomorrow or years from now.
Perhaps the memories that we loved to the best of our ability - our lovers, our children, our friends and family, our own selves and our lives - is enough.
my mother in law is dying and in a sense I feel lucky that I have been made to face that loss before it happens. It means that I can make an effort to fill her remaining days with the love that I feel but don't always express.
you too seem able too say a lot without too many words.
Grace, it's good to be home. I had a discussion with some old friends on that particular thought and we all said the same thing. Reflection is a good thing, daily reflection is a better thing. I've been blessed with some very good friends.
My own sense of perspective changed most a couple years ago when my dad died. Time seems short now. What is important has changed. I no longer take business as serious as I once did. I no longer get as upset over little things as I once did. I stop and smell more roses. And I try to love with more passion.
Cathy, thanks for the kind words. I'm still amazed at the power that a few heartfelt words can do. Thank you.
I had a good friend diagnosed with brain cancer several years ago. He was given one year to live. He came home, gave the news to his wife and then said he was blessed in that God loved him very much. She asked what he mean in light of the cancer. He said God was giving him one year to say goodbye to every one and that God did not grant that opportunity to everyone. I've never forgotten that story or his attitude. We didn't have that chance with Marian. She was 52 and should have lived many, many more years. Cherish your time with your mother-in-law. May we all be so blessed as to have time to say goodbye.
Grace, the other thing that came vividly to mind was the insight a famous philosopher gave on his death bed when asked what, after a lifetime of study, had he learned. His answer: "It is better to be kind than to be right."
Some have wanted to argue with me on that philosophy, but I still believe, and more strongly as I age, and in particular as I think back on Marian's life, that at the end of the day, I would like to have been right a few less times and kind a few more. That, in a nutshell is what I was thinking, in relation to Marian, when I had Von right what he wrote.
Trée, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's untimely death. What a sad and tragic thing. Hugs and sympathy to you. Even in the face of adversity, the journal entry is stunning.
I have been asked if Von's journal entry does not need a question mark, since it seems a question and I think most reading this short chapter view his entry as a question. The short answer is no. Let me explain.
This entry in Von's journal is the equivalent of him talking outloud (to himself--as I did in my car a few hours after I learned of Marian's death) in affirmation of insight. He is not asking the question as much as stating, in his mind, a fact that at the end of the day, one's life will be measured and it will be measured by others (again, as I was doing at that moment with my understanding of Marian's life--the good and the bad). This, Von sees, is so obvious, so clear, it strikes him as profound, like a solitary church bell ringing a solid steady tone on a Sunday morning.
Feel free, as a reader, to take this journal entry and allow it to be a question in your life. In the story, and in Von's journal however, it stands as statement. If you have any issues with this, take them up with Von. It is his journal after all. ;-)
I sit with my coffee and look out my window and I see life all around me. The trees are green and swaying gently in the breeze. The birds are taking turns at feeder and birdbath, going about their morning business with playfulness and mirth. The flowers stretch to greet the sun and open themselves without fear or reservation and all around me I feel peace. It's good to be alive.
Good Morning to all my wonderful internets. May the day bring you peace and joy, love and compassion.
Simon, it's good to be back as my comment just above highlights. Thanks for asking.
As for the beer, well, once I saw the two girls I decided I didn't need the beer after all. Don't like dulling the senses when I have such sultry anticipation before my eyes. Now, as to where I left them, well, let's just say they would appreciate if you didn't wake them just yet. And by the way, for the record, I'll take women over beer any day. Just a note for the next party. From what I've seen, I trust your judgment, on the women that is. :-D
Good Morning Annie. Day is going well although a bit busy after being out of the office for a couple days. Linkage is good. I like linking. I think more men and women should link more often. :-D
Grace, I love your positive energy. Right now I feel like a dry sponge and your words flow into me like cool water. Thank you for blessing me with a little touch of joy. :-)
37 comments:
Since my friend tragically died last Sunday and I have been preparing for the funeral this Friday, I've not been able to think about much else this week. Von's entry is one that last week wouldn't have meant to me what it means now. Like the lace, it changed as my eyes changed. I wish I could convey what that single thought means to me today as I think back on her life. The answer is not always pretty.
This chapter reminds me of the when you used to put a quote under a fractal and leave it open for discussion, interpretation. Everything we see and hear is filtered through the mind, we cover it with our own interpretations, our understanding, our beliefs, and so when they change, so may something that we view, and sometimes in ways that we could never have imagined. What is the measure of one's life is really a very simple question, which is why Von I think turned it into a statement with the absense of a question mark. What do we leave behind, what impact did we have upon others, did we love, were we loved.
Very nicely done, even the shortest of chapters, leave a great impression.
Hi :) I wonder if we all might do well do ponder our lives on a regular, daily basis. At the end of the day, perhaps, taking a review to see how we spont those hours may (MAY) help us invest the next chunk of time in a different way...
The WONDERFUL thing is, as long as the sun comes up and we have the breathe and life to enjoy it, we have the chance to do things, say things, think things and BE a different way - if we want. Or spend more time doing some things vs. doing others.
You have such a deep well of feeling and soul, Trée. Big hugs to you. Thanks for sharing it!
Grace, always a pleasure to have you stopping by and saying the things you say. Put the third week of June 2008 on your calendar. I expect gummi bears and amber persuasion. :-D
Shower optional. :-)
I hope you have a safe trip home. What you write is so true. If only we took that time to reflect each day, a few moments of quiet to be, not to do. Instead, we get sucked into the cult of busy-ness.
I was speaking with a good friend of mine this morning that I haven't talked to in a long time. Long story short, a life threatening disease turned him from a work-a-holic to someone who nows stops and smells the roses on a daily basis. Very heartwarming to hear him tell it.
Love and hugs and kisses my dear beautiful friend. :-)
Again, I am so sorry for your loss and it is hard to convey what is in my heart with words.
Death is never easy because we loose someone for the rest of our lives on earth, but the time we spent with that special someone stays with us - and them - forever.
It's impossible to measure one's life for we do not know how that one person touched lives every day, in a little or big way.
She will always be in your heart and all those who loved her.
Lots of hugs! I'll be thinking of you on Friday.
Thanks Karen. I worry most for her four daughters and especially the one that found her in the pool. That poor child will live the rest of her days with that image in her mind. Still, with life there is death. That is the bargain as we know it. Why we struggle so to accept what we know is inevitable is a mystery. We hang on to what cannot be held and then wonder when our hearts feel ripped out of our chests by that which knows no limitations.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your kind words and thoughts. Very much appreciated. :-)
I cannot imagine the horror her daughter is and will go through after finding her mom like that. It breaks my heart for her and her other daughters. Life doesn't always make sense but one thing that gets me through times like these is knowing that God must have needed her for something special in heaven.
I still struggle with the death of my sister-in-law eight years ago and leaving four children behind. I swear, to this day, every time I am around her children, she's there.
I pray her daughters will be strong and know their mom will never leave them. Ever. I imagine she's counting on all her loved ones to help her children through life now - what an honor that is.
Sending more hugs!
Karen, those are such beautifully comforting thoughts, for anyone who has suffered the loss of someone close. I'm so sorry about your sister-in-law, and the loss especially her children have had to contend with, but they were blessed to have had someone like you to help them when they needed you.
Safe journey, Poppet, missing you already, love and hugs, x
So sorry for your loss and I will be thinking of you on friday. It will be so difficult for the four children but they will benefit from the friendship and love shown to their mum by everybody that attends the funeral.
Vayo con Dios, Trée. May the angels bring comfort and strength, peace and acceptance to all....especially the children.
Sorry to hear about your friend. The fractal is beautiful thought!! Von asks good questions.
I am sorry about your friend.
"At the end of the day, what is the measure of one's life."
Profound. How much better we would be if we all asked ourselves that question at the end of each day.
Sunshine, Jenni, Grace, Kelly, Simon and Jack, thank you all for your thoughts and kind words. I was glad I was able to spend two days with my good friend in his time of need. We didn't say much. There was not much to be said. All in all the visitation and the service went as well as could be expected and the turn out exceeded expectations, which was very nice to see.
Thanks so much for checking in on me while I was out of town. So nice to come back and see your comments. :-)
Good Saturday afternoon Tree,
The journal entry is wonderful....
Something to both think about and adapt one's behavior and life to from here on out...
I am sorry to hear about your friend's young death and the funeral you are preparing for.
My empathy for her loss -- and for yours.
I hope you deliver a beautiful eulogy for her.
I know that she will hear it, for our souls linger for several days before making their final journey.
So whether you speak it to her in the privacy of your home, or wherever her memorial service will be held, your words will have meaning, and will matter....
Blessings to you both, soul to soul.
I wanted also to thank you for the nice comments that you have been leaving on my blog. I appreciate it !
I have had no exposure to sci-fi in my life, and have not felt able to contribute anything even remotely intelligent to your posts, which so clearly focus on an area that fascinates you.
But I will visit, and also add you to my links tomorrow !
Genuinely,
Loving Annie
Annie, thank you for your kind words. The service was yesterday and it went about as well as you could want a service to go. I've never seen to many flowers and the number of people who showed up was almost overwhelming. I feel the four girls were very much comforted by the show of support.
As for the story, I try to write on an emotional level and what is happening in this story could just as well be happening in any era or epoch as I try to touch upon universal themes of relationship. Know that you are welcome to comment anytime you like and you are also welcomed to just hang out too.
I've really enjoyed your writing Annie. Thanks for having me. :-)
((( Trée ))) I'm wondering if your trip has lent you any new perspectives on Von's journal entry...For myself, I've been thinking quite a bit about what I want to leave behind me...whether it's today, tomorrow or years from now.
Perhaps the memories that we loved to the best of our ability - our lovers, our children, our friends and family, our own selves and our lives - is enough.
Warm hugs and welcome home, weary Soldier :)
my condolences for your friend.
my mother in law is dying and in a sense I feel lucky that I have been made to face that loss before it happens. It means that I can make an effort to fill her remaining days with the love that I feel but don't always express.
you too seem able too say a lot without too many words.
Grace, it's good to be home. I had a discussion with some old friends on that particular thought and we all said the same thing. Reflection is a good thing, daily reflection is a better thing. I've been blessed with some very good friends.
My own sense of perspective changed most a couple years ago when my dad died. Time seems short now. What is important has changed. I no longer take business as serious as I once did. I no longer get as upset over little things as I once did. I stop and smell more roses. And I try to love with more passion.
Cathy, thanks for the kind words. I'm still amazed at the power that a few heartfelt words can do. Thank you.
I had a good friend diagnosed with brain cancer several years ago. He was given one year to live. He came home, gave the news to his wife and then said he was blessed in that God loved him very much. She asked what he mean in light of the cancer. He said God was giving him one year to say goodbye to every one and that God did not grant that opportunity to everyone. I've never forgotten that story or his attitude. We didn't have that chance with Marian. She was 52 and should have lived many, many more years. Cherish your time with your mother-in-law. May we all be so blessed as to have time to say goodbye.
Thanks again for stopping by Cathy. :-)
Grace, the other thing that came vividly to mind was the insight a famous philosopher gave on his death bed when asked what, after a lifetime of study, had he learned. His answer: "It is better to be kind than to be right."
Some have wanted to argue with me on that philosophy, but I still believe, and more strongly as I age, and in particular as I think back on Marian's life, that at the end of the day, I would like to have been right a few less times and kind a few more. That, in a nutshell is what I was thinking, in relation to Marian, when I had Von right what he wrote.
Oh, I so get that.
Kindness and passion for life.
That says so much :)
Grace, everything I have read of you tells me you have both in spades. Maybe that is why I like you so much. ;-)
Trée, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's untimely death. What a sad and tragic thing. Hugs and sympathy to you. Even in the face of adversity, the journal entry is stunning.
S, your kind words are very much appreciated. Thank you my friend. :-)
I have been asked if Von's journal entry does not need a question mark, since it seems a question and I think most reading this short chapter view his entry as a question. The short answer is no. Let me explain.
This entry in Von's journal is the equivalent of him talking outloud (to himself--as I did in my car a few hours after I learned of Marian's death) in affirmation of insight. He is not asking the question as much as stating, in his mind, a fact that at the end of the day, one's life will be measured and it will be measured by others (again, as I was doing at that moment with my understanding of Marian's life--the good and the bad). This, Von sees, is so obvious, so clear, it strikes him as profound, like a solitary church bell ringing a solid steady tone on a Sunday morning.
Feel free, as a reader, to take this journal entry and allow it to be a question in your life. In the story, and in Von's journal however, it stands as statement. If you have any issues with this, take them up with Von. It is his journal after all. ;-)
Glad to see you back and I hope your trip was...ok?
Thanks for coming over to mine for the party, sorry my lap top drank your drink, it must be that new 404 brewery!
Everyone appreciated the drinks that Team Bravo bought.
You didn't leave those two girls on the sofa did you?
I sit with my coffee and look out my window and I see life all around me. The trees are green and swaying gently in the breeze. The birds are taking turns at feeder and birdbath, going about their morning business with playfulness and mirth. The flowers stretch to greet the sun and open themselves without fear or reservation and all around me I feel peace. It's good to be alive.
Good Morning to all my wonderful internets. May the day bring you peace and joy, love and compassion.
Poppet and Sweet Pea
Simon, it's good to be back as my comment just above highlights. Thanks for asking.
As for the beer, well, once I saw the two girls I decided I didn't need the beer after all. Don't like dulling the senses when I have such sultry anticipation before my eyes. Now, as to where I left them, well, let's just say they would appreciate if you didn't wake them just yet. And by the way, for the record, I'll take women over beer any day. Just a note for the next party. From what I've seen, I trust your judgment, on the women that is. :-D
Smiling to think of you there, taking such delight in your surroundings and these morning moments.
Good morning, Poppet, x
Good Monday morning Tree ! How are you ?
Going to add you as a link !
Hope that your day goes well -
Sincerely,
Loving Annie
Good Morning Annie. Day is going well although a bit busy after being out of the office for a couple days. Linkage is good. I like linking. I think more men and women should link more often. :-D
I've linked you too. Felt good. :-D
measure of one's life... for a woman that would be the tears in her eyes and the milk in her breasts...
Mona, that is frailing brilliant. Tears and Milk. Inspiring you are. Love it! Dang girl, you good. :-D
Hello :)
You know what? I thinnk I have an answer to Von's question. At least, it's my new answer for myself today! LOL
The measure of a person's life = the level of joy they experience.
I'm learning this as I go along...success being measured by joy. Like a little hummingbird sitting in our hearts.
Much JOY to you today, Trée!!
Grace, I love your positive energy. Right now I feel like a dry sponge and your words flow into me like cool water. Thank you for blessing me with a little touch of joy. :-)
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