Chat group often become the source of wisdom. There are many times a shared feed hit home so hard that encourage shares. Tonight I felt the need to retell a beautiful reflection story that I found in one of my chat app feed. Here goes:
Cries and lamentation sounding from behind the door. On the bed, lies a pale faced body, lifeless yet look peaceful, surrounded by familiar faces that now seems so distant.
A sudden thought cross his mind, "That looks like me...wow, I'm dead".
With the sudden realisation he felt peaceful and detached slowly drifted from the present. Nearby, the reaper stands holding a suitcase.
"Time to go" it said.
"So, this is it? I still have so many plans", he begs.
"I am very sorry, but your time is up. We need to get going now", the reaper said.
"What's with the suitcase?" he asked again.
"It's yours". said the reaper.
"You meant my stuffs?"
"No, you cannot bring any WORLDly things with you", the reaper calmly answered.
"Then are they my memories?" he got curious.
"No, you cannot take what belongs to TIME"
"So, is it my gift and success?" he asked again.
"No, they are belongs to GRACE. You cannot bring what was given" said the reaper.
"Are they my family? my spouse, my children?"
"Not really, they belong to your HEART, and you cannot bring what's left behind" the reaper patiently answers.
*"Then it must be my body, right?" *
"No, your body belongs to the EARTH's soil and it will stays" the reaper said again.
"At least I still have my soul with me, no?"
"You cannot have what belongs to The Almighty Creator, at least you must know this." the reaper retorts then hands him the suitcase without further explanation.
With a peaking curiosity and trembling hands, he opens the suitcase and look inside.
"It's empty!" sadly he exclaimed. "You meant that I never HAVE anything?"
"That's right", the reaper replies, "actually NOTHING really ever belongs to you"
"Then, what really is mine?" flustered, he asked one final question.
"It's your TIME. When you're alive, TIME is all you have", the reaper answers. "Now, your TIME is up, it's time to go".
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There are too many times we might have overly thinking about things that we don't have. We always feel lacking. Being too busy looking out for comparisons that we forget what we really have. We forget to appreciate our PRESENT gratefully. I know I do.
Sometimes we are too busy to prepare for the future or too stunned with regret over our past that we forget to:
- Do more for ourselves
- Do more for others
- Being truthful and honest
- Benefiting others
- Spending more time with our family and friends
being better person each and everyday
The question really is "what should I do with what I have", rather than "what ifs".
Note to self: I really need to embed that real question in my head.
And so..before we move on to our next checklist in our present gratefully, let me ask what you think about this reflection story? Do you felt the same way I do? Is there any other side of the story that you need to share? Let's discuss.