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Good morning, at least I hope it’s good for you. This is my second blog post, which reminds me of the old joke in business: What’s the hardest thing about publishing a newsletter? Getting out the second issue!
In my first post I stated that I would be focusing on life’s big questions, undergirded by the theme of hope, and so it is. But very closely related to that is the word peace. I’m not naive enough to think that anything I write here will move the world towards peace, but I can help you perhaps with a little peace of mind, or at least some peaceful thoughts. A respite from the craziness that is the world today. That’s my hope at least. I lost my mother in 2015 after she suffered for years with various maladies, and severe bi-polar/schizoaffective disorder since her teens. She never once said “why me? “As the saying goes, she lit a candle rather than cursing the darkness, and was a gentle soul who always brought peace to those in her circle. I hope I can continue her legacy to some extent.
As I sit here writing this, I am blanketed by the feeling of an indescribable calmness. This IS peace. I retired from the corporate world several months ago and opened a Marketing Consulting business. That’s progressing well, and I am struck by the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far in life. More and more I hear of the passing of high school friends, and I am reminded of the stoic saying, memento mori–which means, “remember you will die.” It’s a statement not meant to be morbid, or pessimistic, but rather a reminder to live, to not take today, or any day for granted. Life flies by.
I remember driving on my commute to the office all those years, and seeing people out walking around 7:30 a.m. I remember thinking that if I ever get the chance to go for a walk in the morning sun at seven-thirty during the work week, then I’ll be free, finally, and happy, I’ll experience an incomparable peace. This morning I did just that.