Moving Targets

Had a conversation with a man whose wife had recently died. She was a vibrant person – high energy and full of life. She developed dementia and he told of his daily visits, her decline, and how the disease took her vibrancy, her energy, and eventually her life. But the saddest part was he shared that he had lost his purpose. It was living in her wake, then intensely caring for her, then emptiness.

My reflections on this are simple. First, we never know what’s going on in other’s lives. I have a friend that calls it the “personal hells we know nothing about.” Life swirls on around us and we get caught up in the storm or sometimes it blows us over. To see this man walking down the street you’d have little indication that there was this hollowness and pain.

Secondly, while part of the issue is probably his still working through grief, don’t we all need a purpose, a mission? Don’t we all have the need to be needed?

And I’m finding out that those goals are moving targets. Targets that move due to life circumstances.

One thought on “Moving Targets

  1. Since you probably “relocated” many times in your life, you know what moving involves….but it is hard work and takes over your lives. Knowing all that makes it easier to empathize with those who may be facing trials in their lives. Thank you for reminding us of the trials others may face.

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