Day: May 24, 2024

What have you done that actually outlives you? ——Marilynn Robinson

It was a Sunday morning and as I was reading the New York Times I noticed an interview with author Marilynn Robinson whose novels about the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa are beloved by many including former President Barack Obama. Before I could get into reading the article one of my migraines overtook my ability to concentrate on reading and I found myself in the bathroom vomiting as I often do when one of those inherited moments overtakes me without warning. I had to set aside my laptop and close my eyes until the pain in my head subsided. Luckily it was a brief attack and soon enough I was reading about Ms. Robinson once again. 

She’s a bit older than I am, about the age of schoolmates who were seniors in high school when I was a freshman. I was always in awe of the upper class students and that admiration continues to this day. I often attempted to fashion my high school life after what thiers seemed to be. As I have grown older the difference in our ages has dramatically diminish but my respect for them has only grown. So it was with Ms. Robinson as I read about her faith in a beautiful and loving God who fills her heart with optimism. I found myself wanting to be like her, a magnificent writer who conveys her beliefs in the ultimate goodness of humankind. 

In the interview Ms. Robinson admitted that she was mainly a recluse who lived peacefully with her many books and her concern about the present state of the world. While she worries about the ugliness and chaos that seems to be everywhere, she continues to believe that ultimately the best traits of humans will overwhelm the horrific ones. She maintains that each of us have something wonderful to share with the world that will outlive us when we are finally gone. 

I found myself thinking about this delightful woman long after reading the article about her. I wanted to order all of her books and sit reading them while sipping on tea. I identified with her philosophies about live and her wonderful relationship with her generous God. I also felt the urgency of her insistence that living an outstanding life means leaving behind something that outlives you. It does not have to be writing a book or solving a world problem. It can be as simple has being a positive influence in someone’s life. 

I suppose that I agree with Ms. Robinson that a life well lived is one of generosity and compassion. As I grow older I find myself valuing the moments with people who have touched my heart and demonstrated to me how to be a truly good and loving person. Most of them will never be well known. Some of them led lives so simple that their names would never be heard beyond the reach of a small circle of individuals but their impact on me was enormous. I thought of my mother who quite simply was the most courageous and unselfish person I have ever known. Her love of God and her fellow humans was unwavering even in the darkest and most difficult moments of her life. 

My two grandmothers were simple women, uneducated in the formal sense but creative and wise in humble ways. They stand with the icons of history who gave so willingly to others. They were models of ingenuity and joy for me. Even as a child I understood that they were courageous souls who blazed new trails in very quiet ways. 

I found myself pondering people that I have encountered who were always welcoming and loving and willing to go an extra mile to help those who were struggling. I continue to marvel at their energy and dedication. They have all been bright lights in the world who seemed to put the needs of others before their own. Somehow they came to the realization that the really important work in this life is found in reaching out to those unable to help themselves. 

Like Ms Robinson I all too often chide myself with regret that I did not just ignore the dust on my furniture to give myself time to do one more good thing for someone else. I thought of the dark moments that sometimes invade my mind to produce ugly feelings that are the product of fear, anger, jealousy and greed. I am in fact as human as each of us are. Sometimes the first person we need to comfort is ourself. Even the most wonderful person in the world has such lapses in faith. In fact the vast majority of problems around us come from the false beliefs that cloud our ability to fulfill the potential for good that is presentI in everyone. 

If I live a life that influences even one person to be better than he or she might have been, I will be content. I want to be a light that promises fairness and acceptance to those that I encounter. My influence will never be as dramatic and widespread as that of Marilynn Robinson but I believe that all that is wonderful about our world, and there is much, derives from one act of kindness at a time multiplied hundreds of millions of times over. We should all accept Ms. Robinson’s challenge to do things that outlive us. Big or small they are what dampens the chaos and evil that threatens to drown our will. The opportunities to make a difference are all around us and all we have to do is seize them with a loving heart.