February 21, 2011
A broken branch hangs;
the tired arm could no longer
hold the winter up.
The world sacrifices itself for us all the time; if it didn’t, we could not live. Yes, we are 100% dependent on the beneficence of others to lay down their lives so we may continue ours. This cannot be avoided because life eats life, feeds on life and could not otherwise exist. That is the circle of life of which we are all a part.
The purpose of meditation or prayer before meals, I would think, must be to acknowledge this ultimate sacrifice and express our sincerest gratitude. How do words express such a thanks? How can words express such a thanks?
If we truly recognize this sacrifice, if we stare in the face of this undeniable truth, how can we live without a profound sense of guilt unless we do something vital with the life we are given, with the life we are continually given each day?
What am I doing with the opportunity that these countless sacrifices have given me?
When I went to Colombia, one of the biggest ideas I came back with was following everything I saw, ate, used back through it’s lineage. When we follow a piece of fruit back to how it got here- the vehicle, what it passed, who picked it, the tree it came from, who tended the tree, the trees parents, the animals, sun, water that contributed to it- it’s whole lifecycle and back through time. It made me pause and really think.
My hope is that people will embrace the knowledge of the sacrifices and honor them by honoring life.