What My Sister Said
Posted By Kathleen David on April 19, 2009
My sister muses a lot. She is a writer and is known in Atlanta probably mostly for her poety.
She was musing and she came up with Do you want to be a rich person, or do you want to live a rich life?
The obvious answer is both which I really won’t mind. But it does lead me to thinking about my life and what I have in it.
Yeah, I could use some more cash but I think we all could no matter what we currently have in the bank, especially in this economy of uncertainty.
But I do lead a rich and full life and sometimes, especially when things seem to be going into the çráppër, I need to remember that.
To Quote Sheila:
Because the beauty of living a rich life is that it can be done at any time, in any set of circumstances.
Living a rich life is embracing the moment as it stands and not resenting it for being anything other that what it is.
Living a rich life is, at the same time, striving to improve things as you are able, using what is within your grasp.
Living a rich life is expanding your sense of self, learning new things, visiting new places, savoring each new experience and constantly showing appreciation for the blessings you already have.
Living a rich life is laughing your ášš off and crying your guts out.
Living a rich life is saying hello to your own fears, and then walking past them to get where you need to go.
Living a rich life is letting go of grudges and finding better things to do with your time than mentally rehearsing clever retorts to say to the big meanies you argued with (who probably wouldn’t be impressed anyway.)
Living a rich life is indulging in the kinds of pleasures that don’t leave you feeling headachy and hollowed-out afterwards.
Living a rich life is enjoying the process instead of holding your breath until the result arrives.
Living a rich life is seeing the beauty in a rainy day as easily as a sunny one.
Living a rich life is feeling what you feel all the way through and not trying to hide from any of it–every drop of joy and every ounce of pain.
Living a rich life is marveling at the play of sunlight on leaves, tasting a strawberry with full awareness, walking down a street you’ve never been down before just to see where it goes.
Living a rich life can happen the very moment you open your eyes, look around and think Hey, wow, I’m alive. -all italic portions of this entry copyright 2009 Sheila O’Shea and are used with her permission (Thanks Sis).
I would add that living a rich life is watching your child grow up and watch in amazement as they change so rapidly.
More musing on this from me tomorrow but I wanted to put this out there.
I am grateful that my sister gave me permission to post this.
Comments