Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash
Life isn’t short. It’s the longest thing you’ll ever do.
If you’re in high school deciding what you’re going to do or be one day, take heart, it’s okay if you have no idea yet. If you’re in your 20s and you’re wondering, when will the learning end and the earning begin, be patient. If you’re in your 30s and having a partner and children is nothing like you thought it would be, settle in, get comfortable. To those in their 40s, the career rung seems fun to climb, proceed with caution.
If you are over 50, are you where you thought you’d be?
In your career? Your health? Your family affairs? Where you live, whom you married, what job you ended up doing? Do you still wonder what you’re doing and how you ended up here? How different is it from the picture you had 10, 20 or even 5 years ago? I’m guessing the image is in stark contrast to many of the visions we have for ourselves.
Sometimes it feels like your board is rigged to have more snakes than ladders.
Has that ever stopped you from dreaming? Is it a failure because things didn’t turn out as you planned? Are your dreams in tatters? Has your life been so horrible?
I listened to the words of the song by John Mellencamp called Longest Days. He croons how life sometimes doesn’t turn out the way we imagined it would. Even our best-made plans don’t always work out. The last few years have proven to be especially challenging. For the millions of South Africans that are jobless and without hope, the lyrics will hit home.
Mr Mellencamp is right, nothing lasts forever. And life is short when it comes to things of this world. Everything does indeed end. Getting to understand that the world doesn’t always play fair is not easy. Imagine if all you’ve experienced is being tripped up from birth?
But turn your eyes heavenward. Your treasure and rewards lie there. And regardless of where you find yourself in life today, consider the words of Craig Homberg. He suggests we all look to our neighbour and ask:
“How can I show compassion using my resources to meet others’ physical and spiritual needs?”
If we all do this, life’s longest days will be heavenly.
Have an awesome Easter weekend and please be generous! 😄
As always, thanks for reading 🙏
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A tribute to my big Brother whose life was cut short by cancer in 2020 Longest Days
Seems like once upon a time ago
I was where I was supposed to be
My vision was true and my heart was too
There was no end to what I could dream
I walked like a hero into the setting sun
Everyone called out my name
Death to me was just a mystery
I was too busy raising up Cain
But nothing lasts forever
Your best efforts don’t always pay
Sometimes you get sick
And you don’t get better
That’s when life is short
Even in its longest days
So you pretend not to notice
That everything has changed
The way that you look
And the friends you once had
So you keep on acting the same
But deep down in your soul
You know you, you got no flame
And who knows then which way to go
Life is short even in its longest days
All I got here
Is a rear view mirror
Reflections of where I’ve been
So you tell yourself I’ll be back up on top someday
But you know there’s nothing waiting up there for you anyway
Nothing lasts forever
And your best efforts don’t always pay
Sometimes you get sick
And you don’t get better
That’s when life is short
Even in its longest days
Life is short
Even in its longest days
Written by John Mellencamp
Originally published at https://medium.com on April 15, 2022.
