By RAY DAY
Tribune guest columnist
December 06, 2007 11:28 pm
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We all have life, regardless of wealth, race or religion. It is given us by our Creator to use and then taken back in favor of eternal life in heaven. That is my description of life as it was, and as it is.
How each of us uses his or her life is up to us, but with good common sense, good parental upbringing, and proper guidance in education, each of us can use our life span to the best possible way and to make a legacy for others down the line.
Life is too short for anyone to let the past slip away without checking and documenting the findings. You can make a difference in your and others’ lives for just being there for them.
My life is just a blink of the eye, and what I do with it sets a path for those who are still here when I am gone. The path I walk is of my own choosing, and the best path is the straight one.
Sometimes there is something in my path which is placed there to make me take a detour to a crooked path, but I can either wait until that path is cleared or I can go around just far enough to not lose my way back to the right path. You can do the same, as each of us has his own path to follow in life.
And you can’t go around feeling sorry for yourself, just because you hit a detour and have to make a change. You can’t shut your door to your past history, because without the past you don’t have the present.
And to hide your ancestry in a closed mind sends me a signal that you are ashamed of your heritage. You should never be afraid of what you will find out, because that is something you should be proud of.
Some of us will never know the wanting of love because we never lost it. Some of us will never be depressed because everything works out the way we want it to.
Some of us will never be hungry because our pantry is full. Some of us will never be cold because we have a home and we have the clothes to keep warm. And some of us do not worry about what will happen to us when we die, because we have made peace with God and with all of our friends.
Life’s foundation begins with proper guidance from our parents, good food to eat, good thoughts, and all around love of each member of the family to the other.
Respect and honor those who came before us. Knowing that Mom and Dad were there to protect us if needed. Those were the days, my friend, when life was great and rewarding because your day was one of parental love by the grace of God.
And that is what keeps this old man going, being able to pass on to the youngsters the stories of honesty and respect, plus the love of those friends that still come around to see me and relive the times, so greatly forgotten because the people who lived them either have gone Home or they just don’t talk about it. It is very sad to know that some want to forget what got them here.
Life can be like a merry-go-round, in that you can continue to ride the same road or you can get off and ride your own. Outside of the rules we live by, the rest is up to you. Only you can decide the path to follow.
My path changed a few years ago when I was told I might not survive major heart surgery. It didn’t take long for me to ask for a second chance and I feel that He gave it to me.
My life wasn’t over, as there was still something for me to do. Nine years later, I am writing my thoughts, taking care of my wife, who has been ill for three years, and keeping my life clean. Life is like that in that you have some things to do and a legacy to leave for others.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day can be reached at arermdrd@netusa1.net or
uncleray@skyenet.net
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Ray Day
Tribune guest columnist