subject: What Is The Meaning Of Life_ Ask Mary Morrissey [print this page] What is the meaning of life? This is not a small question, however it is one of the most significant questions that we as humans ever ask. Robert Fulghum is the author of the book, Everything I Needed to Know, I learned in Kindergarten and he tells a poignant story about the meaning of life and clarifies this important question. When Fulgum was in college, it was standard on the last day of the semester for professors to ask are there any final questions? Robert would raise his hand and retort, What is the meaning of life? All of his classmates would laugh, pick up their books and walk away. This habit of asking professors, What is the meaning of life, became less of a casual curiosity and took on a deep meaning lifes journey.
After Fulghum became a professor, minister, author and speaker he got an invitation to visit a peace institute on the Island of Crete. The peace institute was founded by Alexander Papaderos and the timing of Fulghums invitation was particularly meaningful because these were to be Papaderos last two weeks of teaching. Upon arriving, Fulghum learned that the peace institute was strategically built between two cemeteries. One cemetery was filled with the graves of Germans who had invaded the Island of Crete during World War II and the other cemetery held the graves of the Cretians who defended their island.
The two week training was educational and life changing for Fulghum. During the closing of Dr. Papaderos last teaching, he looked around the room and asked, Are there any final questions? Fulghum raised his hand and when called upon he asked, Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life? As usual, people laughed and started to pick up their things but this time, Fulghum was surprised by what happened next. Dr. Papanderos said Sit back down. I will tell you what I believe is the meaning of life.
Papaderos said, When I was a young boy and the Germans invaded our island, there began to be exist a line of division between the Cretians and the Germans. As Germany came closer and closer, I watched my older brothers fight and I watched some of them die. I observed as this imaginary line came closer and closer. The birds of the air knew nothing about this imaginary line; they flew freely from one country to another.
Then one day I came around the corner and there was the remains of a German motorcycle. I dont know what happened to the German, but his motorcycle was wrecked and the rearview mirror on that motorcycle was smashed on the ground. I picked up the mirror and I tried to put it back together again. When I realized I could not put the mirror back together again, I took the largest, jagged piece of mirror and I sanded it with a rough rock until it became a perfect sphere. I created a childish game that involved holding my mirror and getting the light to reflect off of it and shine into dark places. I got really good at shining light into crevices and very dark places. When I learned how to hold the mirror just right, I could shine my light into any dark place.
Then Papaderos looked around the room and said, I came to realize that every one of us is a fragment of a mirror whose size and shape we do not know, but as a fragment of that mirror we are essential to its wholeness. Papaderos reached for his wallet and pulled out the mirror and held it in such a way that the light reflected off that mirror and a beam landed right on Fulghum hands. He walked over, handed Fulghum the mirror and said, Now you go and tell this story to the world.
Each of us, as unique as a thumbprint, are a fragment of something that is immense and internal. We didnt create ourselves; we have been breathed into existence by this incredible sacred immensity called life. And life is seeking a freer, fuller, expanded expression of itself by means of itself. That means, right where we are, something great is seeking to happen. It comes to us first through ideas and dreams, and if we stay true to our light, we will influence not only our life, but our world.
Each and every one of us is a fragment of a mirror whose size and shape we do not know. But as a fragment of that mirror we are each uniquely essential to its wholeness. If we pay attention to what we love and are focused on creating a life that makes a difference for not only yourself but your world, you are going to find, not only are you happy. So what are we here for? To take whatever seems dark in life, shine light on it and bring what we care about forward.
