Dec 18
Does Life Have (A) Meaning? – Persephone
Sometimes I join in the conversations that grow from what has been posted here. Recently, there was a reply to the post: “Dinner for Two – Romance in Aged Care. The writer wonders what gives life meaning ‘at that age’. My question would be,”what gives life meaning at any age?” My own thoughts on the matter are – maybe there is no meaning at all. At least, no specific one.
We make goals, and if we are artists we become deeply involved in our art. If we are in business we make money. Most of us work or have worked for a living. We become embroiled for ever in our children and our grand-children’s lives – or not. Many of us have religious practices that can include company with like minded others. We eat, sleep, make love, read books, watch movies, walk, travel, garden and love our pets. We visit our friends and enjoy their company and, if lucky, we enjoy our own as well. All of these activities are outside us and can make us feel happy, sad, or indifferent. But would you say they give meaning?
Perhaps they do, but I do not have a definitive answer. If I think about my own life I never ask whether it has meaning. I do know that I love life and am grateful for it. It has covered the spectrum of what can happen to any human being, from tragedy to comedy. I am grateful for that, and don’t worry at all whether it has meaning or not!
And yes, for many – there comes a time when all those activities gradually slow down, and in some cases stop altogether, even though the body is still alive. With regards to those old people in their care-home: my deepest wish is that they will be given more special opportunities to feel loved and cared for. Most importantly, I wish that they are reached out to, with genuine intention to pierce the apparently clouded lives they live within themselves. I am not afraid of growing older and dying. But I am aware that there could come a time when I will need attention and care from someone else.
My hope is that conversations like this will reach far enough to those who do the caring, and help them recognise that none of us need to be sat in rows in front of a TV all day. What we need is a smile, a hug and a bit of attention. In other words – it is what happens in the present moment that counts. Those who have disappeared into themselves have only that present moment. As do we all.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Dear Persephone, like always, you have posed two questions for me to think over. The first being ‘is there a meaning to life?’
If we consider life to contain a begining and an end, then I’m sure that one would require life to have a definite meaning. If on the other hand you believe that life and death are a continuos process, then there is no possibility for a meaning to exsist. The continual cycle will create no time for the meaning to be fulfilled. There is of course, the third school of thought, that life is just what it is. It is not to be controlled by your own idea of meaning.
We swim in a great ocean of energy, life force, unconditional love or what ever other name you like to give it. A meaning would be like trying to control this infinite energy. Our egos are big, but not that powerful in the larger scheme of things. I have been on this planet for a good few years now, and the only thing I can say is that if there is a meanig to life, then someone forgot to mention it to me. I have used so much energy both consciously and unconsciously trying to control my life, my partner, my inviroment and my health. In fact anything that I thought could be controlled, only to find out that the final outcome was nothing more than my deep desire to avoid life, and not just live it. Spending time trying to find the meaning could result in waking up to find life has passed you by.
There was an old lady that sat on a park bench, and said to god, “I do not have much time left, surely you can tell me the meaning of life.” God asked, “do you really want to know ?” “Yes, replied the old lady. Then god said, “It comes in three parts, 1… do not compare….2 do not compete… and 3…. do not understand ”
My second thought was about the elderly in care. Here in Denmark is the only experience of elderly care I can comment on. But I must admit I tend to agree with you. I cannot understand why it is the lowest paid occupation that is available. The people that do this kind of work should receive the dserved appropriate remuneration. Having said that, there are some people that are working with the aged, that just should not! Some, because of their age diffrence, have no common ground to approach the old farmer now in his eighties or the ex-teacher that was used to discipline. They are worlds apart. And, their work becomes no more than just a task to be fulfilled. There are very few employees capable of giving the sort of care that you call for. In my estimation far, far to few.