My children and I have talked about this just recently. We were discussing how humans are able to compare extreme happiness with extreme sadness; particularly was it better to live life without taking chances and stepping �out of the box� or was it better to live �outside the box,� always placing yourself at risk.
The first time I held a child in my arms as their breathing slowed until it was no more, I thought it would distress me beyond my comprehension. Instead, I felt as if I could feel that child�s life-energy move within me and through me before it began its journey. But when I first came to claim a child�s body from a morgue, I was inconsolable. I dropped to my knees, crying with such anguish that I thought my heart would stop. For me, it was one of those rare moments of total honesty when I could assess what really mattered in the few short years we have on this earth. It taught me to value what is important over what is just window-dressing.
Would I like to erase the pains my children or I have experienced in our lives? I�m not certain that I would, because without having them I would not be who I am today, nor would my children have the same grounded view on life they share.
And would I like to have my youth back? Well, only if I could retain all the scars and experiences. Otherwise, I'm afraid, I would be no more than a shell.
Sleep with the angels
Fr Bill