one of the things that i feel more deeply now as i know that most of my life is behind me is the interconnectedness of all things. from the tiniest particle of matter to the tallest mountain, everything is a part of the vast universe, and that universe enters into all its component parts. i don't dream of heaven but of returning to the earth to nourish and replenish it. i hope i'm not entombed in some watertight container that keeps what remains of my body from contact with the soil that surrounds it. rather, i want my body to be burned and scattered so that i live on in the soil that nourishes life.
the self that i have so long protected is a creation of my mind. the "real me" is not the collection of thoughts and stories that run through my brain. we are all parts of something much larger, of that creative consciousness from which everything arose and to which everything returns, continually arising and returning. if there is a God, all of creation is a part of that great mind which inhabits all that is. nothing is ever lost, only changed, transformed, as our bodies are in death. we have always existed, only in different forms, parts of one another and the universe.
to return in another body, to try to get life right the next time around would be lovely. second chances are wonderful gifts. but if that's not how things work, to become part of the earth, to nourish new life, is lovely, too. may we each find our place in the grand scheme of things. may we see our connection to everything else. may we be part of the environment, not set apart from it. may we honor the majesty of creation by loving ourselves and others as part of the mystery of life. shalom.
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