Life Has Purpose

Standing among the evergreens, hardwoods grow pale Signaling the change—like a snakeskin shed in near perfect form, On the forest floor, shadows and leaves, in infinite degrees of repose. And for a season, before new sprouts, these giants stand firm. Majestically. Naked. Silent. They wait upon the next season with the patience of a tree. Strollers park haphazardly. New Moms huddle. Comparing notes, experiences. Challenges. A confluence of happiness, Joy, and misery—all of which love company. Swaddled infants garner garbled words, and smiles as they are passed, and silently inspected. And compared. Days turn to weeks, turn to months, turn to years. And Mom’s huddle. Babies grow into toddlers and teens, and the huddles continue, in new forms. A teen cries as an overbearing father forgets his manners, in an effort to instruct. Profound influence and opportunity—lost in the emotion of the moment. Yet life goes on. And later, he shares his ability to be intimate with words of apology, that sooth with laughter and hugs. And on each trip, parents hold fast to faith, not fear, with prayers, trusting, hoping—as they wave good bye, and silently hope for safety. Outside, rain beats hard against panes. Inside, a family gathers—hands held. Smiles muted. Conversations low, punctuated with hugs. She is present, but has been gone for a very long time. Old, feeble, with no memory of who we are, or why we’re here. Photos of smiles surround her, mostly for us. Gentle reminders of years now gone. Picnics, holidays, birthdays, and graduations. She is here in form, but she left long ago. Life has purpose. It is a dance. A self-perpetuating movement. The stanzas in a poem. The chorus in a hit song. The tag line in a famous commercial—“where’s the Beef?” Life is seasons, and about making a mark. Leaving it better than we found it. Giving a legacy to the next in line. Loving large. Giving more than taking. Seeing all one can see. Having no regrets. Life is experiences tempered by the human emotions that make it all very tangible and worthwhile. Life is Good. Life has purpose!