ONE CANNOT LIVE THE AFTERNOON OF LIFE ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM OF LIFE'S MORNING... Carl Jung, (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche.)

 A few days ago, I had a strange dream, so strange that when I woke up, I told myself that it was not worth trying to decipher it because I would not succeed. The dream was as follows: I was in front of two large paintings depicting geometric figures. The difference between the two was that while the colors of the left canvas were gleaming, those on the right canvas lacked luster. I remember thinking in the dream that the second canvas had probably been washed with chlorine. But as attractive as this dream was, its images didn't communicate anything to me... that is, until I remembered a Jung saying that I had read a long time ago. "One cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning,” it stated. According to Jungian thinking and without fear of being wrong, we could say that life really begins (the canvas on the left) when time is running out. But what is the reason for

this paradox? The paradox is not such if we realize that it is only in the second half of life that we understand the meaning of existence; for instance, that our life is free and determined at the same time. In other words, although we enjoy a certain freedom of action, there are tasks that were sent our way for us to fulfill. Over the years we also understood that the pain suffered was necessary to grow spiritually and become our real Selves; it was thanks to the way we dealt with life storms that we became examples for those who follow us in time. Finally, it is only when there is less time left that we understand that solitude is our best companion. Only when we are alone can we grasp the undeniable fact that we were the only ones able to do what we came to this world to do. Finally, it is when the day is almost over that we realize that the only things we will take with us are the goodness and reverence for life we have shown to all and everything.

ES EN LA NOCHE PROFUNDA...

 

REFLEXIONES DEL AŇO QUE TERMINA

 Otro año que se aleja de mi vida y que, al mismo tiempo, me acerca un poco más al cruce del río del olvido que a todos nos espera. Pero cuando miro hacia atrás los días vividos, siento latir dentro de mí un alma serena; la mía es un alma que ya no siente rencores ni pesadumbre, sino solo gratitud por lo recibido. Por ello, cuando la noche cierra me gusta agradecer al Universo la vida que me ha dado, ahora tranquila como agua de laguna. Es cierto que, como a todos en esta tierra, he pasado por instantes que me dejaron sin aliento y con el alma entristecida. Pero luego, al abrir los ojos a mañanas esplendorosas, pude comprender que no hay bueno sin lo malo, ni malo sin lo bueno. Hoy, al cabo de recorrer tantos años de vida, me doy cuenta de que, al cumplir con las tareas que nos han encomendado, sabemos que nuestro final más que final será un andar eterno. Porque hemos venido a este mundo a mejorarlo y a ayudar con nuestro ejemplo a aquellos que lo necesitan. Y al cumplir con este mandato nos vamos acercando a ese río misterioso sabiendo que la corriente nos llevará allá donde nos estén esperando. Más que viaje será el retorno a nuestro verdadero hogar.

 Feliz Año y muchos más por venir.

NOSTALGIA NO ES TRISTEZA

 

Cuando llegado el anochecer

me siento sobre la arena fría,

no es a tí a quien recuerdo,

sino la magia de cuánto te quería.

 

Cuando empieza a brillar la luna

y el mar refleja un color de plata,

no es tu rostro el que aparece

pero la nostalgia que me arrebata.

 

Cuando renace el alba marina

y de oro pinta las olas dormidas,

no es tu nombre el que me envuelve

sino lo que fue mi profunda alegría.

 

Pero nostalgia no es tristeza.

THIS IS THE MEANING OF MY LIFE

Although I always liked to read various literary genres, lately I became immersed exclusively in texts about the meaning of life. Perhaps the years that flow so fast induced me not to waste any more time and elaborate a meaning of life of my own. Almost all the texts that came my way reached a similar conclusion: be honest, have compassion, and be generous. It is true that there is not much more to conceive about the meaning of a life based on ethics and morality. Yet, for some reason, these well-known truths did not seem to be enough for me. Finally, last Sunday I had the opportunity to discover what the meaning of my life really Is. As every weekend I went down to the beach, and when I ran into the young Argentine guy in charge of beach chairs and umbrellas, these were his words:

"I am dying to watch the game against France! Unfortunately, I have to stay here and take care of the umbrellas."

Since I was also born in the country of soccer, it didn't take me too long to understand the young man's plight. For Argentines soccer is more than just a sport; it’s their identity as a country. So, I thought about it for a second and then I said:

"Just go. I’ll take care of your umbrellas while I read."

I will not waste time describing the reaction of deep amazement of the young man; what I will mention instead is how a simple encounter like this taught me a precious lesson about the meaning of my life. Let’s forget for a moment about the money we donate because we don’t really need it. For me living a life that makes sense means taking the time to become the refuge that those around us so desperately need. What about the meaning of your life?

HOY CAMINÉ HASTA LA PLAYA

 

Hoy caminé hasta la playa y en la orilla me detuve.

Cuando me senté la arena me acogió apacible,

y la espuma blanca de las olas se regocijaba

mientras a mi alrededor yo el mar contemplaba.

 

Hoy me alejé de lo cotidiano, del temor y del vacío

para acercarme al agua límpida que se me acercaba,

y en el silencio de esa resplandeciente mañana

bajo ese cielo frío solo un nombre me acompañaba.

 

Solo tu nombre abría las alas hacia las nubes vaporosas.

Un nombre que nunca se aleja, un nombre que no deja

de acariciar mis ojos antiguos, mis manos temblorosas,

ni de recordarme que para siempre estarás conmigo.

 

"And these losses are necessary because we grow by losing and leaving and letting go." Necessary Losses by Judith Viorst.

 

Growing and becoming wiser is the gain left by the estrangements and losses we suffer in life.  If we are able to tolerate with fortitude what leaves us, we become more human.  When I think about my own life, there were two events that made me grow up and understand that life is synonymous with deep loneliness: the first was the death of my father, and the second was my son’s going to the university for seven long years.  Both relationships, the deepest ones of my life, forced me to face the emptiness of absence. The difference between the two was that although the first was an absence with no return, the second faced me with the difficult task of letting go the one who for many years had been the center of my life. Then came the estrangement of those adult friends who no longer shared my same interests, and finally those friends whom death took away from my life forever.  So, as I said earlier, there is no doubt that life is about letting go what we love; and the gain we reap is learning how to face it. Without forgetting that our own death will be sublime or desperate depending on whether we have respected this law of life.