“This Too Shall Pass” — Dealing with the Impermanent with an Open Heart
On Mother’s Day week, one of my friends posted a picture of her mom on social media and shared something pretty emotional that almost brought me to tears. They had gone on a walk and my friend mused about how life had changed in a few decades.
She said something that could be summarized as:
“There I was, at the park, walking with my mom, who doesn’t walk so fast anymore, only to realize that maybe thirty years ago, she was the one pushing me to walk a little faster, to go a little further, who cheered me up not to give up. Where did time go? She’s not so strong anymore and she knows that. She’s also sad that her hand used to hold onto me firmly, and now it’s my hand that supports her and stops her from falling. Welcome to the sad circle of life.”
I felt emotional about her anecdote because I felt the same last year when my mom came to visit me and we took long walks together. As time passes, I worry more and more about my parents’ health. I am not “cool” with the idea of the circle of life, either. I still struggle and I think it’s sad and unfair. Shouldn’t all those who have done so much now enjoy perfect health and live happily ever after, without diseases or external concerns? A life Benjamin Button style — at least that’s what my “ego-mind” considers to be fair.
