Life

Look up the definition of ‘Life’ in the Encyclopedia Britannica and it starts off “living matter and, as such, matter that shows certain attributes that include responsiveness, growth, metabolism, energy transformation, and reproduction” followed by another 18 221 words.

Briefly but no more revealing, Wikipedia tells us life is a characteristic that distinguishes living organisms that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from objects that do not. Either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate.

Which, more accurately, seems to be describing what life is not. Trying to clearly define what life is can take a life-time and fill many books. Defining what life is if not is far simpler — an absence of life.

The answer to the question of “What is Life?” will depend on who you ask, and who they in turn asked when searching for their own answers. Perhaps more importantly, it will depend on your own philosophy, religion and fears as to what answer you get because these will steer you in the direction of who you ask in the first place. If you’re a person fearful of the oblivion, you will find answers that ensure eternity. If death makes sense to you, you’ll discover more academic or scientific answers.

Then again, you could rent the DVD of Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and be just as clear about what life is as if you had gone to a religious leader or scientist. None of them know for sure and whoever offers an answer does so safe in the knowledge that you will be unable to second-guess them once you personally experience the absence of life.

Like everyone else I’ve asked myself the same questions for as long as I can remember and, like U2, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. None of it makes complete sense to me... not the religious not the scientific. It could be that my intelligence is not of the required standard to fully grasp all the theories and belief systems. Maybe my neurons aren’t firing on all cylinders but I see huge black holes in ALL the philosophies and hypotheses into which common sense is sucked never to be seen again. There’s not enough space for that discussion right now but suffice to say mine is a mind still in pursuit of sensible fulfillment.

But I don’t beat myself up over my inability to reach that state of knowing, of seeing the light of certainty or playing the lost chord. The inevitability of the eventual absence of my life will transpire no matter what I believe.

As a much wiser person than me once said, life is what happens while you’re making plans. Or life is what happens while you’re searching for its definition.

How to package the meaning of life into a few short sentences or one encompassing philosophy is simply not that important to me and I won’t cash in and spend the seconds, minutes, hours, days and years pursuing the pot of gold while not fully appreciating all the colours of the rainbow.

I’m not suggesting the pursuit of such knowledge is a waste of time for anyone else and I’m sure the sense of achievement and fulfillment for these people is absolute and real to them. I just don’t want to reach my life’s destination only to find I’ve missed the important things along the way because I was so focused on the road that I never marveled at the views along the way.

All I know about life is that... It is. I am. Now.

I must make the most of now... this second... and this one... to completely fill up and fulfill this minute and proactively and purposefully use this hour and today to fully experience and appreciate life.

I will sponge up the experience and everything about it. I will absorb everything my senses will allow: the sights, sounds, smells I come across and will touch and feel things within my reach.

Buddha said, “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” I believe that if we could see the miracle of life our whole world would change.

I believe that if we could see the miracle of life our whole world would change. It is quite astounding to me that human beings find it so easy to destroy what they know and understand so little of. If we can appreciate the miracle of a flower: the beauty of the colours; the delicacy of the petals and stamens; the fragrance of its scent; the intricate systems and mechanisms that draw sustenance from the ground and the sun; the way it attracts a particular pollinator which connects it to the web of life that radiates outwards and connects every living thing with each other; if we can fully appreciate it even if we don’t fully understand it, then how much more can we see and appreciate the miracle of the pollinators. The buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies or bumbling beetles that go about their business industriously to sustain their own species, the flower species and other species which prey upon the pollinators.

If we can respect the miracle of the flower and resist the temptation to pick it, how much more can we appreciate and respect the miracle of the bee? If we can celebrate the life of the bee how much more should we celebrate the life of the bird?

If we can cherish the life of a flower, insect or bird, or fish or mammal, how much more should we revere a human life?

Yet with all the science and religion dedicated to defining the meaning of life, we just don’t seem to get it, marvel in it, understand it or respect it. Instead of what little we do know about life resulting in our holding it sacrosanct, our ‘knowledge’ has lead to the arrogant belief that it is ours to take.

@FullCircleSean