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Re: Living Vita Brevis
At 02:49 PM 2/29/96 -0600, Susan Urbach wrote:
>
>To live vita brevis is to be aware of the many ways we cope
>with life, our philosophy and our theology.
<snip>
What was brought home in a very, very concrete way,
>was that ars longa happens all the time. That our lives and actions
>live in the hearts of others, and we have absolutely no idea the ars
>longa that we cause in other people, and even they within ourselves.
>
>When you live vita brevis, you cause ars longa, for you take
>the time and effort to recognize the moment. When you live in vita
>brevis, you recognize that to make the effort is important. Many
>people think, oh, I should do/say this or that, but it remains only
>thought. To live vita brevis means to put action to the thought.
>When you do, you have created ars longa. How much ars longa
>living do we miss because we don't take the moment?
>
>I would not have chosen the path of experiencing the losses
>caused by the bombing. Life is like a equalized bandwidth. In order
>to experience greater joys, you must also experience greater sorrows.
>It doesn't seem to work any other way. I have had immense losses,
>great grief, tremendous chaos and pain. But I have also experienced
>great joy, deeper loving, heightened appreciation for people and even
>things. This last year has been the best of times and the worst of
>times.
Susan, apart from sharing what is surely a Spirit-given insight into the
nature of time/eternity, you have also demonstrated the power of witness.
It's the authentic Carpe Diem, and I have printed it out for a couple of
friends of mine who are having trouble sorting out what is worth getting
uptight about. (I'll black out your name/address, because I don't know
whether you would want them "aired" outside the list.)
Thank you very much.
Barbara Wolf
"But we've got to be careful not to reduce people by cramming
them in the limits of our understanding, haven't we?"
Reginald Hill