Reminders — The Sands of Time

I received a text message the other day with an image attached — it showed the black silhouettes of an elderly man with a cane holding the hand of a child. In the middle of each silhouette was an hourglass; the man’s sands filled the bottom bowl whereas the child’s top bowl was full. Sands flowed through the narrow necks but from two very different perspectives.

There was a crudeness, simplicity, and intimacy to the monotone picture — the image was beautiful and its literal message very clear.

My quick reply, “I really like this. I find it comforting”.

We are figurative hour glasses and our lives, our experiences, and our body of work are represented by the sand as it moves from the top bowl to the bottom. As the final grains fall, our time here comes to an end.

I quickly added, “We still have lots of sand left”.

After this short exchange, I was struck that I used the word “comforting”. I then proceeded to spend what was probably more time than I should’ve to understand why I decided to use this particular word for what was obviously a message about mortality. With other things to do, and only so much time, I’ve come up with two reasons why I used the word.

The first reason is something very tribal — I’m part of a larger shared experience, and although sands may fall at different rates or hour glasses may be different sizes, we are all the same in terms of being born, living our lives, and ultimately dying. The second reason is the intimacy of connection between the older man and the boy as they hold hands; I envisioned a grandfather out for a walk with his grandson sharing stories and experiences to help the boy in life.

This is a reminder that what we do has value and there is an importance in sharing our experiences to help others on their journey (I believe many would also call this servant leadership) — our experiences matter, they add to the larger human experience and if shared, help those who follow in our footsteps. In a sense, our limited time offers the opportunity to become timeless.

Although I still have sand left, sadly it’s not as much as it used to be. I take comfort in knowing I’m part of something much bigger than myself and will continue to make my way with the sand I have left.

iamgpe

I know I will die. I am not afraid to die. I will work very hard not to die

before my time, and I will enjoy the experience until I do.