Wish You Were Here

i was awakened this morning with a dream fresh in my mind.  in it, i was saying goodbye to some former teachers and expressing my appreciation to them.  these were not teachers who had been a part of my life.  they were characters who were unknown to me, and i couldn't understand where these folks had come from or why they had emerged in my dream.  in my state of being barely awake, i also wondered what the dream's meaning was.  

as i thought about it, all i could figure out was that my mind was reminding me that i had never expressed my gratitude to many who had played important roles in my life as i grew up.  i remembered my piano teacher with whom i studied for eleven years.  once i graduated from high school, i never returned to see her and express my appreciation for all she had taught me.  i thought of many of my friends with whom i lost contact over the years and for whom i still have a deep affection.  i felt guilty for failing to convey my gratitude to so many people who are valued by me.

then, i reminded myself that this is the way of life.  there are so many whose lives i have touched who no longer stay in contact with me and who have never thanked me for the help i gave them.  it's not because they are ungrateful, but it is impossible to maintain all our relationships from the past and carry on with our lives.  we repay the beneficial influence of others by paying forward the gifts they have given us.  as much as we would like to continue relationships with all those who played important roles in our lives, we have our responsibilities and relationships to maintain in the present.  we can continue to feel gratitude for the past, but we can't let it weigh us down when the present is all we are able to deal with.

may we take time to remember those who have been good influences in our lives and express our gratitude to them as time allows.  may we repay past helpers by following their example in the present.  may we not weigh ourselves down with guilt for that which cannot be helped.  may we correct past failings when it is possible to do so.  shalom.