A Look at My Mortality and My Life's Meaning

C.S. Lewis (1996, p. 128), quoting St. Paul, wrote that "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." Lewis (1996) was writing of the glory that human beings will find in heaven if they have lived their lives in accordance with God's will. In reflecting on my own mortality and assessing the meaning of my life, I find that I agree with Lewis (1996) in my own assumption that the temporary pain, suffering, and problems that all human beings experience during their lifetime direct us toward the "better life" which will occur in the hereafter.

In this essay, I will offer reflections on my mortality and the meaning of my life. By way of introduction, I am a 36 year-old Filipina-American woman, wife, and mother of three beautiful and loving children. I was born on November 3, 1966 as the only child of Filipino parents and encountered the pain of loss and issues of mortality early when my parents both died before my first birthday. Reared by my grandparents on the small island of Masbate, after high school I moved to the city of Manila and worked as a restaurant manager. It was there that I met and married Ronald Gale, who has always been a loving and supporting husband. Ronald and I began our life during his service in the U.S. armed forces and dedicated our marriage and our family to living a Christian life, teaching our children the values

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enhanced by the acquisition of knowledge and skills. If education and faith are two of the most important things giving meaning to my life, my children and my husband must also be included in a list of such things. I wake up every day to the realization that through hard work and love, Ronald and I have created a mutually supportive family which directs its activities toward self-improvement and mutual growth and development. I strongly feel that having the opportunity to share the rewards and the pain that are integral to all lives with my husband and children has made it possible for me to describe myself as a happy and contented woman. Some time ago I wrote a brief poem that I feel expresses some of these feelings. I am including it here to illustrate my sense that a good life is a life that is lived fully each and every day: The Wind My Life feels like a wind Gone� Like a wind As Drifted out the wind Memory cannot be forgotten Will always be part of you. As You have been part of mine Love� Care� Support� Complement� Will always be here with me Just Live life as you have not lived before Feeling as I was not gone to wind. In reflecting on the loss of my parents when I was only 11 mon

Category: Personal - A