This reminds me of the Ernest Hemingway quote: "'Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal.' And I think about how we still study Shakespeare all these years later, how he hasn't had his second death. There is definitely a desire (and dream) through my writing to achieve this. I don't find myself personally attached to material objects, but I'd hope my art could continue to have a positive impact in the world.
That's an amazing quote. Thank you for sharing that. It's an idea I've actually tried to write into a future book of mine, but struggled to find the words to describe. I might just have to use this quote now instead! :)
This reminds me of the content I've come across lately that says to honor your ancestors. Light a candle for your ancestors. How many of our rituals and ways of life have been stripped away (for various reasons throughout history) but especially the ones that revolve around honoring those who have passed on... So many ancestors have received blame, and I want to honor them from now on.
There's a lot of adoption in my family tree, which I feel has made me somewhat disconnected from the idea of ancestry. I wish that wasn't the case, but here we are. Though, since losing my grandparents, and now my dad, it's definitely been a top of mind thing for me. I'd be curious to hear about the experiences of people who do actually have more of a connection with those a few generations back.
Indeed, I was adopted too by my step-father turned dad. I do not know any of my biological ancestors on the paternal side.
I am of the mind that I can connect with my ancestors through meditation and other spiritual practices. So I think that's the way I'll go. Since most of the ones I do know have passed on.
I'm sorry for the loss of your grandparents and dad. I lost my grandfather last year, he was the oldest living relative of mine. He was actually a father figure too.
Hey Aidan, I really appreciate the journal prompts you include with your posts. I am not one to be attached to material things, and I have witnessed people’s belongings essentially being shoveled into a dumpster after they die. My goal is to have next to nothing by the time I die so my kids don’t have to deal with it. But it is certainly sobering to think about how quickly we are forgotten - in a generation or two at most.
I'm glad the journaling prompts resonated! And I hear you on the leaving little to deal with for your children front. Curioous if you've ever heard of the book "Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins? It's more about money than objects, but there may be some parallel thinking there.
I appreciate the prompt to think about life and death deeply. Something comes up for me around.. sacredness? If I have memories connected to an object and I have cared for it with my heart and my hands. If I have infused it with a sense of meaning that arouses.. sacredness and it has become a living soulful thing in my personal experience. Then shit it hurts when someone else doesn't see that and handles it without the same sensitivity and honor.
I have a precious little oak next to my summer house that I planted in the ground together with my sister. She died recently. This little baby oak is now very precious and sacred to me. I sit there and think of her. I carefully prepared a little pathway to it. I don't pick the blueberries around it because she liked blueberries and I want the spot to look beautiful.
At any moment a moose could walk by and if it would see it, it would eat the baby oak in one tasty bite. It would not have a second thought about it, or maybe it might be momentarily surprised because oaks do not usually grow in this area. A neighbor could walk by and step on it having no clue. The next owner might not like oaks and be frustrated with the previous owners that he now has to do all the work of cutting it down and finding somewhere to dump the waste so that it can rot away and be out of mind.
In Swedish there is a word that I love: besjäla. It means something like "endow something with soul". A thing can be "besouled", if it has been carefully cared for by someone.
It seems to me like.. In one way we can become wise and see that all appearances are neutral and that all meaning we attach to our things ultimately will lead to suffering. On the other hand it also seems to me like.. the process of endowing our things and the people in our life with meaning and soul through our care and love, is essentially what a meaningful life is about.
The deepest wisdom then, is maybe not how to be less attached, but to learn to accept and have our hearts be ever widened by the griefs of our losses. And every time we might learn just a drop more to remember to truly cherish what is here right now.
Ah, yes, this is definitely it. It's easy to get swept away in the mentalities thrust upon us by sentiments that seem popular or that fit the schemas we have already adopted, but like with most things, understanding that the balance of ideas will always bring one closer to a more rich and well-established sense of how things should be. Well said, and I'm sorry to hear about your loss ♥️
Hey Aidan! I appreciate your affirmative response. However I must admit that I don't at all understand what you are saying 😅 what mentalities are you referring to, and what is "the balance of ideas". And how does it connect to the above? You lost me 🤷♂️ Wish you a great day
This reminds me of the Ernest Hemingway quote: "'Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal.' And I think about how we still study Shakespeare all these years later, how he hasn't had his second death. There is definitely a desire (and dream) through my writing to achieve this. I don't find myself personally attached to material objects, but I'd hope my art could continue to have a positive impact in the world.
That's an amazing quote. Thank you for sharing that. It's an idea I've actually tried to write into a future book of mine, but struggled to find the words to describe. I might just have to use this quote now instead! :)
This reminds me of the content I've come across lately that says to honor your ancestors. Light a candle for your ancestors. How many of our rituals and ways of life have been stripped away (for various reasons throughout history) but especially the ones that revolve around honoring those who have passed on... So many ancestors have received blame, and I want to honor them from now on.
There's a lot of adoption in my family tree, which I feel has made me somewhat disconnected from the idea of ancestry. I wish that wasn't the case, but here we are. Though, since losing my grandparents, and now my dad, it's definitely been a top of mind thing for me. I'd be curious to hear about the experiences of people who do actually have more of a connection with those a few generations back.
Indeed, I was adopted too by my step-father turned dad. I do not know any of my biological ancestors on the paternal side.
I am of the mind that I can connect with my ancestors through meditation and other spiritual practices. So I think that's the way I'll go. Since most of the ones I do know have passed on.
I'm sorry for the loss of your grandparents and dad. I lost my grandfather last year, he was the oldest living relative of mine. He was actually a father figure too.
I think it’s great that you have that connection! And I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather as well.
Hey Aidan, I really appreciate the journal prompts you include with your posts. I am not one to be attached to material things, and I have witnessed people’s belongings essentially being shoveled into a dumpster after they die. My goal is to have next to nothing by the time I die so my kids don’t have to deal with it. But it is certainly sobering to think about how quickly we are forgotten - in a generation or two at most.
I'm glad the journaling prompts resonated! And I hear you on the leaving little to deal with for your children front. Curioous if you've ever heard of the book "Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins? It's more about money than objects, but there may be some parallel thinking there.
Yes, Die With Zero is my philosophy and lifestyle. What do you think of it?
The idea that money is a means to an end and not an end in itself is pretty much right on the money, pun intended.
And the same premise can definitely be applied to possessions. A means to an end mentality definitely keeps issues like these at an arm’s length.
I appreciate the prompt to think about life and death deeply. Something comes up for me around.. sacredness? If I have memories connected to an object and I have cared for it with my heart and my hands. If I have infused it with a sense of meaning that arouses.. sacredness and it has become a living soulful thing in my personal experience. Then shit it hurts when someone else doesn't see that and handles it without the same sensitivity and honor.
I have a precious little oak next to my summer house that I planted in the ground together with my sister. She died recently. This little baby oak is now very precious and sacred to me. I sit there and think of her. I carefully prepared a little pathway to it. I don't pick the blueberries around it because she liked blueberries and I want the spot to look beautiful.
At any moment a moose could walk by and if it would see it, it would eat the baby oak in one tasty bite. It would not have a second thought about it, or maybe it might be momentarily surprised because oaks do not usually grow in this area. A neighbor could walk by and step on it having no clue. The next owner might not like oaks and be frustrated with the previous owners that he now has to do all the work of cutting it down and finding somewhere to dump the waste so that it can rot away and be out of mind.
In Swedish there is a word that I love: besjäla. It means something like "endow something with soul". A thing can be "besouled", if it has been carefully cared for by someone.
It seems to me like.. In one way we can become wise and see that all appearances are neutral and that all meaning we attach to our things ultimately will lead to suffering. On the other hand it also seems to me like.. the process of endowing our things and the people in our life with meaning and soul through our care and love, is essentially what a meaningful life is about.
The deepest wisdom then, is maybe not how to be less attached, but to learn to accept and have our hearts be ever widened by the griefs of our losses. And every time we might learn just a drop more to remember to truly cherish what is here right now.
Ah, yes, this is definitely it. It's easy to get swept away in the mentalities thrust upon us by sentiments that seem popular or that fit the schemas we have already adopted, but like with most things, understanding that the balance of ideas will always bring one closer to a more rich and well-established sense of how things should be. Well said, and I'm sorry to hear about your loss ♥️
Hey Aidan! I appreciate your affirmative response. However I must admit that I don't at all understand what you are saying 😅 what mentalities are you referring to, and what is "the balance of ideas". And how does it connect to the above? You lost me 🤷♂️ Wish you a great day