Leaves and waves; Life and death . . .

Everything I believe about life and death I learned from leaves and waves. . .

• There are no Gods, angels or demons;

• There are no miracles, mystical elements, deeper meanings or revelations;

• Nature is the only true law;

• Humans are good and bad. There is no reward or punishment when we die.

Our lives are like leaves on a tree.  In the Spring buds appear.  Soon the leaves blossom and grow.  Storms occur, and some are blown off. Autumn arrives; they change colors, wither, then fall to the ground.   So it goes with all living things.   We are born, we live and die.  Some live longer than others.

Look at the ocean and the incoming waves.  Some are magnificent, they seem to roll in from the horizon all the way to the shore.    Some are much shorter; ending almost as soon as they begin, without any explanation.  It is the same with our lives.     Some of us live long, glorious lives.  Some of us die too soon: either way, we are destined to disappear.

There is no deeper meaning to life than this.  We are born and then we die, with only the limited time in between.  Do not grieve the fallen leaf or the wave that is no more. Celebrate instead that each began and ended exactly as it was supposed to. Take your comfort in the new blossoms of Spring, the beauty of the Autumn colors, and the magnificent vistas that are forests and ocean. Each of these is all of us.

I don’t believe I have a soul, or that anything will remain of me when I am gone other than a fleeting memory in the minds of a precious few. This realization does not sadden me. In point of fact, it brings me comfort. I have had a good life and look forward to death.