We Touch


What lies upon the distant shore? It’s a question as old as time. Yet we find ourselves stuck in traffic surrounded by noise and for what? Another car payment, a pair of shoes we’ll never wear. The accumulation of things does not a life make. My bride and I don’t have much. Hell most of the furniture we sit on isn’t even ours. Yet we look to the important things. The love and respect of our children. The laughter and tears of our grandchildren to sustain us.

It’s not easy being poor, but it gives you a greater appreciation for the things you do have. A comfortable bed, a belly full of food, a warm body to lay next too. After struggling for so long to keep my kids bellies full and a roof over their heads. I suppose I’m just tried. Tried of the envy and jealousy I felt towards those around me with so much. Yet when you scratch beneath the surface, they we’re just as empty and as poor as me.

Happiness can be found in many ways. Yes, it can be found in work. But even then it’s the relationships and connections we remember most. Are you letting life distract you from what is real. Are truck payments and bills pulling your eyes and heart away from the ones you love? It took my mental illness to drag me towards truth. It took nearly dying to drag me towards the light.

We are not the sum of the things we collect. I’m happy to leave my heirs little to nothing. But I am happier to leave them memories and a heritage that was left to me. Because nothing is more important than the thoughts and love you leave behind. Our bodies return to the earth eventually. But the traces of our soul are left buried deep within the hearts and minds of those we touch. 

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