I found out today that someone who touched my soul has died. I hadn’t seen him in years but no matter. The news made me cry.
Jack touched so, so many lives in his seven and a half decades on earth. Life is so much better for the beneficiaries of his vision, passion, dedication, hard work and belief that everyone deserved a decent and affordable place to live. The souls of those to whom he ministered were nourished and fortified by his love of God and his ability to connect our daily life to the enfoldment of divine will. Our city became a more welcoming and habitable place for those cast aside by a society not structured around its most vulnerable citizens. And for those who merely knew him as a charismatic and affable man, his gentleness warmed the heart. His loving demeanor was infectious. His purposeful and joyful life inspired many.
How about you? Has your life been enriched by someone who so beautifully lived a purposeful and joy-filled life?
Many of us are fortunate – our lives have been enriched by those who led purposeful and joy-filled lives; their inner compass guiding their every action. They have been our role models and often our heroes and heroines, guiding us to achieve our own highest purpose. These are the folks who always seemed clear about what they were meant to be doing. We recognized them at a distance perhaps because their inner light radiated so brightly! Regardless of their specific purpose, their focus impressed – be it their dedication to family, community, career or cause. They will never be forgotten for they touched our souls.
But as important as what they did and achieved in life, was the joy that filled their days, their actions and their interactions; joy that was infections, joy that was contagious. This is the real hole left in our life when someone who has touched our soul transitions. Our grief is more pointed when we reminisce about the times of shared joy. Our experience of loss is more intense when those who touched our soul and filled our lives with joy and love pass on. The intensity and duration of the grief is proportionate to the joyousness of the one who has died.
The lesson for each of us is to cherish the joy – cultivate it, revel in it, treasure it! After all, when those who touched our soul move on, that is what remains of them in etched in our hearts, minds and souls.
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