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| living well Who is Better Because of You? BY BOB MUELLER You never live until you begin to live for something. One of the fundamental laws of life is that only useful things survive. Squirrels have bushy tails because they are useful for balancing on the limbs of trees. Dogs and cats have eyes in the front of their heads because they are hunters and need to keep the game they chase in sight. Rabbits have eyes on the side of their heads because they are not hunters but are hunted, and they need to watch in every direction for approaching enemies. The things we use for our good, we keep. Animals have a marvelous sense of smell, but people are losing theirs. Animals use theirs for survival but humans increasingly depend on other senses. That which we do not use eventually dies. Put your arm in a tight sling, keep it inactive, and after a while it will wither away. There are fish in Mammoth Cave that are totally blind. They still have eyes but have lived in total darkness so long they have lost their sight. And so it is with human life. I believe no person is here by accident. Surely we believe the purpose of every life is to be fruitful. And when people fail in their mission they wither and die. Study, as I have so many times, the lives of people who are “fed up” with living and you will find that they are failing to bear any real fruit. You never live until you begin to live for something. I once spent nearly a week in a little hermitage far back in the mountains. I never enjoyed anything in my life as much as I enjoyed the first two days there. I went to bed at dark and slept for 10 hours. I sat on the porch and looked at the beautiful mountains. I was several miles away from a phone. No newspaper was delivered to my door. Nobody came around to see me. There was no mail to answer. But after a couple of days I caught up on my sleep and I got restless. I walked around through the woods, but just walking without going anywhere didn’t appeal to me very long. I wanted something to do. I wanted to be with other people. I don’t know how long I will live. Neither does anyone else. But one thing I do know — I am living now. And that is more than some people can say. I once buried a young soldier who was killed while leading his men up a hill during a battle. His mother was crushed that he had died so young. But I pointed out to her that he probably packed more real living into the 30 minutes he used in climbing that hill than some people put into 70 years. The unhappiest people in the world are the ones who are living within themselves. I sympathize with the little boy who was so lonely he said to his mother, “I wish I were two little puppies so I could play together.” Let us stop — stop dead still for a moment — and ask ourselves this question: “Is there a single soul who would look us square in the eye and say, ‘I thank God for you. My life is better because of you. I am glad you are living.’ Would anybody say that to me?” If you were to die tonight, would it be much of a loss to anybody. Would it really? What is the answer to the fruitless life? Before we do our best, we must first be our best. Bob Mueller is vice president at Hospice Foundation of Louisville. Bob can be emailed at bobmueller@iamtodayswoman.com. Bob has two books: Look Forward Hopefully and The Gentle Art of Caring. |