Why Are We Here?

I had The Conversation with the little angel tonight. Why are we here?

I grew up steeped in Lutheranism, with a hint of high school existentialism.

I have raised my daughter differently than I was raised. I homeschooled religion.

Partly because of the crises of organized religion. Partly because of my own disillusionment with the laws of God versus the laws of Men.

Oh, parenting is hard.

I want to give her the tools to make sense of the world in a world that denies climate change and the effects of quarterly returns on our ability to be humane.

I want to give her something to cling to that represents what happens when our hearts cease to beat.

The reality is that we will all die, someday. We don't know when or how, only that we will. The young: They can't understand that. I didn't understand that.

I said to a co-worker this week that I'd borrowed a mission statement from someone whom I've forgotten: Live a life you don't need a vacation from.

I've tried to do that. We cut out eating out so we could ride horses. We shifted things around so we could have adventures. We drive shitty old-model cars and live in a bank foreclosure house so we can live a life we don't need a vacation from.

I believe that.

This year's cancer scare taught me that it can all be over tomorrow. You could have the rug pulled out from under you at any minute.

Are you ready?

Do you spend your time on what matters?

I don't, not entirely.

I need to make more time for my art, my writing.  I was good at it before I had a commute.  I need to get better at it now.

What do you need? Let's make time for it. Together. Because a) it won't mean a thing in an hundred years and b) it will mean everything to those we leave behind.

Both of those statements are true.