What remains, what do we leave behind us?!…

Each of us has different opportunities to participate in someone’s burial or burial service, or different opportunities to participate in various moments and events in the lives of acquaintances, relatives, friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbors, friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc. such as wedding, baptism, anniversary, retirement, funeral, commemoration, etc.!…
In such circumstances, or following such moments and events, the question keeps coming to my mind: what is man and what, exactly, remains or leaves behind him?!…
The man who has or had so many struggles, ambitions, aspirations, plans, ideals, projects, dreams, joys, fulfillments, delusions, disappointments, problems, achievements, pains, satisfactions, results, successes, failures, trials, obstacles, temptations, challenges and so on!…
The man, who, once, somewhere, laughed, cried, sang, sighed, sighed, dreamed, loved, hated, desired, lusted, worked, gathered, gathered, wasted, won, lost, cracked, overcame, managed, crossed, solved, solved, etc.
And, at some point, you realize that you are in a moment of balance, before a reflection, meditation, analysis or thoughts when you ask or ask yourself: what am I leaving, what remains behind me or, what have I left , what did he leave behind, what was left behind by one or the other?!…
Yes, interesting question but, above all, interesting answers, thinking about what we have done or what we have not done, what we have achieved or what we have not achieved, where we have reached or where we have not reached, why this way why not otherwise , why here, why now, why, why?!…
And, also in such situations, I think or remember that, upon our passing from this life and world, perhaps the poor left nothing and the rich took nothing!
And, one and the other took and left only their deeds and their consequences or consequences, nothing more, nothing else!
And, then, why, to whom does so much ambition, vanity, vain glory, desire for revenge, for wealth, for mastery, for domination, for manipulation, for enrichment, for cultivating the ego, for building one’s own image, for strengthening of the cult of one’s own personality and many others?!…
Why all this and, still, many others, which more, why all this tension, all this stress, all this struggle, all this tension or state of tension and pressure, why all the betrayal, infidelity, disloyalty, infidelity, cowardice , greed, cunning, specula, skill, subtlety, perversity, perversion or our predation?!…
So, what good is all this and many more like this?!…
Not in vain, the Book of Ecclesiastes reached, among other things, the conclusion: „vanity of vanities, all are vanity!…”
That’s why, in other words, every time we hear and find out that someone has passed to the eternal and heavenly abodes, we should come back and wake up, to reality, as if from a deep sleep!…
Yes, the moment/event of someone’s death should be, for us, for each of us, an occasion for serious introspection and deep meditation, in other words, an event like this should make us think, in a very serious way!.. .
Not for nothing, all the Holy Fathers of the Church exhort (us) to always have the thought, the mind and the conscience of death – as being the wisest teacher who can (re)bring each of us to life, to true life , to the true state, to authentic living!…
In other words, let’s remember their life, living, passing and spending in or through this world!…
In moments like these, good people, we must think, deeply, seriously and responsibly, about the way and the way we spend, spend, and spend ourselves, each one of us, in and through this life, on this earth !…
In such moments it is good to remember the word: „after deed (after life) and reward!”
And so, as I said above, let’s ask ourselves, in the most honest way: what is the use of so much agitation, so much stress, so much contortion, so much rigidity, so much tension and pressure, daily, quotidian, mundane, of what use , brothers, what’s the use?!…
Instead, how good, constructive and useful is the spirit of temperance, of researching our own conscience, of reflection, introspection and meditation, of balance, of love, of charity, of altruism, of assumption and responsibility, of seriousness and sincerity, of humility , of dignity, of honesty and correctness, of forgiveness, of patience, of fair reckoning, of discernment, of measure, in everything and in everything!…
The Latins used to say: „carpe diem!” – „live the moment!” We Christians must say: „cherish the moment!”, every moment and every moment, every encounter, anywhere and anytime, with our brother, colleague, neighbor and fellow man, any moment, any state, any chance or opportunity , as being unique, the first and the last, therefore unrepeatable and, who knows, maybe even the last, because we are not the masters of life or death!…
In other words, let’s be very attentive and mindful of how we pass, how we spend ourselves, how we spend our peers or brothers, how we behave, in this life and through this world, (by) limited, temporal, provisional, transitory and temporary, well knowing that „our city/kingdom is not here, on earth, but beyond, in heaven, waiting for the one who will come/will be!…”
If we don’t do this, people, we will regret it sooner or later and, more than that, we will lose everything sooner or later and this will be one, fatal, lethal and, at the same time, an extremely painful one!…
So, come on, brothers, let’s be very careful when we meet , for example, someone: let’s look at him well and, with great affection and with chosen love, no matter who he is, who was or who will be , let’s enjoy every meeting with anyone, like on a great holiday and (of) chosen or wonderful holiday, let’s appreciate and live all these moments as gifts of great use, full of gain and happiness because , who knows, maybe tomorrow, you won’t be able to meet him and he won’t (anymore) be able to see or look at you!…
Because, however, how often does it happen to us, for example, that we miss someone so much and that we can no longer spend time with them at all, except in stories and stories, memories, poses and photographs, and, simply, we are gripped by bitterness, sadness, mourning and anger!…
Yes, you will reproach me for being very pessimistic, gloomy and skeptical , and you have every right to do so, but, unfortunately, what I am telling you, here and now, is so real(ist) and, at the same time, it is so true, much too loud or very true!…
Also, at the end of this meditation, I want to say and ask you something else: Come, finally, good people, let us value, honor and appreciate (or admire) our brothers, our peers, parents, heroes and clergy as long as they are here, alive, with us, contemporaries with us, living and passionate, with us (or for us), not after they have left us or from us !…
By the way, in the end, I don’t even know who left first (the first): they, from us or from us or we from them and, from them!…
In other words, we, the people, have (somewhat) divided (and separated) into: (un)pretentious, (un)precious, (un)precious and despised, into: known, unknown and recognized, into: named, named and re-named, in: concrete, discreet and indiscreet and so on!…
As such, be very careful, in which category and pose do we find ourselves!
Therefore, good people, what you do is done to you, that is, how you live and how you spend it, that’s how (we) will pass and spend too!
those who have gone beyond, and may God strengthen us, have mercy on us and save us, those who are still here! Amen!…


Stelian Gombos


https://steliangombos.wordpress.com/

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Referinţă Bibliografică

What remains, what do we leave behind us?!…/ Revista Armonii Culturale, ISSN: 2247-1545. Adjud, Vrancea, RO/ Ediția: 27 aprilie 2023