Did I Ever Tell You About.....?
How Wisdom Arrives When We're Ready to Hear it.
I have told stories my whole life. Many of them begin with the words, “Did I ever tell you about…?” Sometimes family members respond to this question with eye rolls and cleansing breaths, followed by an exasperated, “YES!!!”
“I’m so glad to hear that”, I say. “Because one day I’m going to die, and you’ll all come together for my funeral. You’ll see my body in the casket, and notice the flowers and cards. You’ll sit quietly, observing the expression on my face, or the veins on the backs of my hands. You’ll stay silent for what seems like a long while. And then one of you will break the silence by asking, “Did he ever tell you about….?” And you’ll all smile or laugh and say, “Yes!”
That, I hope, is how our light still shines after we die.
It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the Sun’s light to reach Earth. The light of faraway stars reaches us long after they’ve died. I wonder if that’s also true of the light and wisdom generated by our own lives, or the lives of the people we love. My experience with what I’ve learned from my parents, coaches, teachers and now patients - AFTER they’ve died - tells me this is true. Their wisdom arrives long after they’re gone, but just in time for when I’m ready to hear it, or see it, or finally understand it.
So let your light shine freely today and know that tomorrow others will benefit from its wisdom. And smile, as they remember you.