I found myself quoting this proverb several times over the weekend. I was attending the graduation of my niece from Dental School and this was an occasion for her parents, family and friends to reflect back on their and her life. This frequently resulted in comments like "where did all the time go?"
Another cultural tradition that has the observation made by the Eskimo proverb as a central tenet of their practice is the Zen tradition. Their admonition to live in the moment is an acknowledgment that all we have is this second but it too slips away too fast.
My mother died last week. This is the epitome of the need for being present in ones life. The separation of the physical from the spiritual in the life of the deceased and in the lives of those who loved them is irreconcilable, immediate and emotionally intense. It is in death (particularly the death of a parent or child) that men are granted the right to cry in public without being considered weak. I cried. I loved my mother and grieve her passing. But I truly believe that today and every other day should be dedicated to a celebration of life, the life of the deceased, the life of the celebrant and the only part of life that we can truly experience, the now.
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