On Photographs and Ink Stains

I just got out of bed and saw a new photograph of a friend who passed away. It was on the front page of my Facebook feed. So early in the morning and without the buffer expectation, it kinda smacked me down. Ther was that beautiful smile and those bright eyes that I miss.

Is the concept of death changing in the 21st century? It used to be that one had the space of silence and non-reminders to mourn the loss of someone, to somehow figure out what the hell you ere supposed to do without them here. Now you can find pictures of people who are gone all over the place.

Okay, let me back step here a bit, I am  not saying it is a BAD thing to have access to pictures and videos we love on the internet. It is actually amazing. However, it in within that first year, the place where all mentions and reminders that they are not here reallllllllllllly hurt the hardest.

I have texts of my friend on my phone. Even now it is hard for me to look at them. But the strange thing is that they are so sterile looking. She and I exchanged many letters in our life. Alas, in an act of pure evil, all her letter were thrown out on purpose. So now I have no way of reading her wonderful writings again. At present, it would be crushing, but in time, it would be amazing. I have writings of some of my friends who have passed. There is something sacred about the written word, the handwritten word, that really connects people.

Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo are an amazingly intimate look into the soul of an artist. They are still read today and for good reason. They are rich in emotion and passion and wonderfully written. What will be left behind of us? Texts? Twitter feeds? Emails? The new generation does not write emails, so make that texts, Twitter, or instagram.

We are all dust, we are all to return to the Earth. What will we leave behind? Selfish personal experience that only satisfies ourselves leaves little behind to help other things grow. We must do our best to give to others so that when we are gone, things can grow and be better. This is not a new concept, I understand that, but it will most likely always need to be repeated.

Acts of kindness and selflessness are those seeds that we plant. We must do our best to be a positive part of the continuum. And, no, that is not easy, but being a farmer never is....