Auntie F., my Mum's cousin, who passed away last Saturday did live a good life in that respect, but more than that, she was a kind, thoughtful and generous woman who touched the lives of many people.
It is not uncommon to judge how well a person lived by a person's accomplishments, status in life, financial success or the number of places that person visited. I'd like to think a good life is measured by more than just these standards.
Certainly how much pleasure one derives from life is a gauge, but that need not come from material things. A simple life can afford as much pleasure.
I just have to look at my mother as an example of someone who enjoys the ordinariness of her life with quiet relish whether she is pottering around her balcony garden, attending a church sing-along or reading the newspaper back to back.
How joyful one is in life, regardless of circumstance is, to my mind, a better measurement of what constitutes a good life.
This inextinguishable joie de vivre is what my mother and her cousins, Auntie F. included, share and I am blessed to be able to bask in the conviviality of their meetings occasionally to take notes and learn.
More important than how much pleasure one receives is how much pleasure does one give in life? Do we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison?*
I can't say I knew Auntie F. very well but what little I knew of her, I could see that she was someone who had the gift of hospitality and she put it to good use at every opportunity. She was sensitive to people's needs and acted accordingly to provide generously with no thought of return.
God bless you Auntie F. and may you dwell among the upright in eternal life.
As for me, I hope to emulate her joyfulness, kindness and gift of hospitality, and to live a good life every day.
*See parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 35:31-46
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