November 26th, 2021
We are like many pellets of incense falling on the same altar. Some collapse sooner, others later, but it makes no difference.
Marcus Aurelius shares his message that regardless of our wealth, status or natural gifts, we all share the same fate of death. When we try to compare our lives to those of others, we make acceptance more difficult.
There is a term "keeping up with the Joneses". When we look at what our friends or neighbors possess, we covet. We might go as far as competing with who has the better stuff.
What we don't recognize is the possible cost of yearning. Not the actual price tag of the material items, but the cost on our lives and the lives of our family. We lose sight of what we already have and measure our lives based on what others have.
As we approach Thanksgiving, acceptance gains more significance. When we begin to accept the blessings we have been given without measuring against others, we can truly be grateful. After all, when we leave this world, we all take with us the same amount of material wealth.