Full Life?

I was attending a funeral when I heard someone claim that the dead person in front of us was able to live a full life. The statement brought me into trance. For a few minutes, my mind wandered into the enigmatic world of confusion. How can we tell that someone lived a full life? How about me? Can I say that I am living towards the fullness of my life? Did someone live a full life because he/she held a high status or rank in the society? Or is it when you accumulated a great amount of wealth? Or maybe when you had an intact family? Or maybe when you are a successful entrepreneur? What about if you die poor and you were not successful in sending your children to school? How is the fullness of life being measured?

Months passed of reading and listening and praying. I cannot sleep without finding the right answer…at least according to my faith. You might think it’s bullshit for me to be seriously thinking about this but hey! I lived more than a quarter of my life and I do not want to spend my remaining years in vain.

The quest for the answer ended (for now, and I hope I will not be brought in trance again…) and I can pretty well summarize it in these words: you lived a full life if you’re brave enough to say “I’m ready, Lord!” not out of pain and suffering but out of divine certainty that you lived a life of purpose according to God’s holy will.

Yes, a life of purpose. A life that is lavishly shared to others. A life that is blessed with love from the people around us because we generously gave love as gift to others.

Being wealthy is not necessary but the wealth can work to our advantage if we share them with others.
Being wise is not compulsary but it will make us a better person if we were able to teach and inspire.
Being a person of high rank is not required but we will benefit more if we will use this to lead others toward personal growth and development.

It is only in this act of sharing that we can bravely say that we are ready to die…not because we are proud to say that we have something to brag about when we face God but because ironically, we will never die…because we will continuously live among the people whose hearts we touched and lives we inspired.