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Old friends pass away, new friends appear.
It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives.
The important thing is to make it meaningful:
a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.
- Dalai Llama
One of the reasons I became a self-employed Yoga Teacher is my Baba Jean Wawryk. I liked to go out to her house a couple of afternoons a week, and my work allowed me this flexibility. I would make lunch then we would play scrabble and talk about life. Sometimes we wouldn't talk at all, we would just sit quietly until we fell asleep. I felt a fulfilled sense of purpose in the simple moments of holding Baba's hand as she napped.
Being around Baba was like being in the presence of a great sage. She had a loving acceptance of her life. In her 94 years, she experienced incredible hardships: poverty, the loss of her three sons, and eventually the decline of her own health. Regardless, Baba always had a smile on her face and would crack jokes like "Madi, I'm going to die by the time you find a boyfriend" - she was right by the way.
I knew every afternoon I spent with her, was a day closer to her death. We both did not mind, we just took the time to really love each other. We understood how precious that time was. When she passed a couple of years ago, it was a gentle letting go. I knew I spent as much time as I could and the grief was softened by the love we shared.
I now find myself calculating the hours I have with the people I love. I see my brothers 1-2 times per year and usually for 16 hours total. We are health conscious but have made bad choices, so I would say maybe we have another 50 years together if we're lucky.
Let's do the math:
16 × 50 = 800
800 / 24 = 33.3
The way that I live now, I have 33 days and 3 hours with my brothers, a little over a month. Understanding this helps me let down my ego and try to love them better. I value the time and try to be present in the moments I have because I know 50 years is a long time but 800 hours can pass in the blink of an eye.
Food for Thought:
Who do I value most in this life?
The Calculation:
(Hours Together) X (Time Remaining) = (A)
(A) / 24 = Days Left
What would I change knowing this now?