The meaning of life?

Life is an adventure! And I'm no philosopher; what my life means, for me, may have nothing to do with what you think yours means. The cosmic meaning of life? Uh, again, not a philosopher...not even a student of philosophy. Otherwise I'd know why good people may die too soon while tyrannts live to inflict pain another day.

This morning life is about a cool breeze that rustles through the neighborhood trees. It's about a puppy running around the yard just for the shear joy of running. It's a cup of coffee with Charles Osgood and "Sunday Morning" on CBS; it's small slice of nature at the end of each show, a chance to worship at the feet of Mother Nature and marvel at earthly wonders.

I'm a secular person, so I don't so much look at religion here. I'm more closely attuned to the sense that Native Americans have; the natural world is filled with spirits that care for Mother Earth, the gift of rain that sustains all comes from Father Sky. And, we are caretakers of the land; all that we need is here, if only we care for it properly. And we must also look after each other, in kindness and caring.

Life is a balancing act, every day. We spin on across the sky regardless of who dies or who is born. Whether you had a good day or a bad day doesn't matter. Tomorrow is still out there and you have to choose to find joy and awe in each day. Otherwise, your existance fills all you touch with a melancholy and a sense of doom. The minute we are born we start the process that ends with dying. We are never sure how long the journey between these two events will last. Eventually those we've touch will be gone as well and then, who remembers us? Does it matter?

I'm not someone famous who will live on in history centuries from now. I'm an observer, a student of history, a dreamer of the future...even the future that will pass hundreds and thousands of years from now. I'm a sponge for trivial facts and obscure information. And I'm a lover of nature. How can I live in this amazing place and not be daily in awe of the view around me? Mountains, forests, and oceans lay at my feet, full of incredible vistas and a cacophony of sounds, and I'm transformed by the wonder of all that collides with my path.

We have three cats and a dog. Two of the cats know that there is a robin's nest near the front gutter of the house, easily viewed from the window in the dining room. The robins appreciate the water we give the fruit trees nearby; the soaker hose is like a shower, and the softened ground makes finding food easier. The
sound of those hungry little ones is often in the air. The meaning of life for those birds is to know where the cats are, and to avoid them. And to teach their little ones that same lesson. Life is survival, even if all you find to eat are worms.

My meaning of life? To learn all I can, to try to be a good partner, a good friend, a good parent. Ok, no defining "good", not today. To try not to think the world revolves around me, but to know I have an important spot in lives of many people and to accept that role and responsibility. To cry when I'm sad, to comfort when others are. To laugh at the bizzare and ironic situations in life and not take myself too seriously. Never to take for granted the gifts I've been given; family, friends, sights, sounds, the soft innocence of that puppy, the frustrated growl of the cat, the many shades of green in the landscape and how it frames a blue sky. And the breeze, rustling through the trees.