"If, in my lifetime, I raise a child in love, and my child goes on to make peace between two enemies, then I am still alive in my child's peacemaking..."

 

My friend says many people don't realize the "depth and magnitude of life."  I agree completely.
Imagine this: in the year 2050, multiple treatments for cancer have been discovered and put into practice.  AIDS attributed deaths in Africa are at an all time low.  The average life span of the American man is 156 years old, and women live and average of seven years longer.  This may seem like a perfect world to some, where we could avoid death for many years longer than our ancestors ever thought possible.
 

"[It]  may seem like a perfect world to some, where we could avoid death for many years longer than our ancestors thought possible."

Now think about this: it takes a half an hour to get to China from New York City, on an Aerospace plane.  You can experience thousands of scenarios using virtual reality.  In this extreme setting I have created, think about how long it would take to experience life in a fulfilling way, with balanced amounts of pain and pleasure, depression and joy, challenge and ease.  Let's estimate that it will take you 100 years or more to experience so many things, perhaps easily filling a 150 year life span.  But, even with so many opportunities, and so many years in our lives, we can still become bored and tired and feel "empty."

So, we ask ourselves, is it better to have an empty life, or to die?  Consider how many resources one human being uses in a lifetime.  Isn't it selfish for us to want to live longer, continuing to deplete precious earth's resources, rather than dying?
 

"Some people have an easier opportunity to savor the fruits of life than others.  But, we must all savor life, not just those who are privileged enough to do so with ease."

There are many ways in which people live their lives.  It is true that often people don't enjoy the life they live, due to poverty and lack of opportunity.  In this regard, the words of the American Declaration of Independence, "All men are created equal" appear not to be true.  Some people have an easier opportunity to savor the fruits of life than others.  But, we must all savor life, not just those who are privileged enough to do so with ease.  There are many levels of inequality, such as class, race, and gender.  All people are equal, in the eyes of the divine.  But until humans have divine eyes, like their creator, the value of an individual's life cannot be truly appreciated.  This is how humans create inequality.

I realize that at the end of life comes death.  Death may seem like an indestructible brick wall that we run straight into.  However, death can be a wonderful transition.  Perhaps in that brick wall we are headed for, there is a doorway that we pass through.  Is death an ending or a beginning?  There are so many possibilities in death.
 

"One who has accepted a truth and allows it to be questioned by others, shows true patience and maturity."

Some things we just can't explain.  Different religions are the different interpretations of what is beyond us.  If we did not have religions and we trusted nothing, this would lead us to live an incomplete life.  At some point, we have to stop thinking, and start doing.  We have to accept certain things as truths and let others question us.  One who has accepted a truth and allows it to be questioned by others, shows true patience and maturity.
 

"Nature teaches us balance of all things, and harmony.  So I believe harmony and balance are things to strive for.  This is what I have accepted for survival.  Therefore I can thrive."

Choosing religion is part of having a fulfilled life, and a part of survival.  So what is my choice?  I believe we can be a part of that which is beyond us, despite the fact we cannot explain the "beyond."  I believe we can "tap into" the energy or spirit that is beyond us.  I believe that this spirit reflects itself in nature.  Nature teaches us balance of all things, and harmony.  So I believe harmony and balance are things to strive for.  This is what I have accepted for survival.  Therefore I can thrive.

I believe we are remembered for our legacy of living what we value, and this is one way we live on forever.  Peace is one of my values.  If, in my lifetime, I raise a child in love, and my child goes on to make peace between two enemies, then I am still alive in my child's peacemaking, which I influenced.  This is how we live on spiritually.  What I can do is show people peace.  It is ultimately up to them whether they want to choose power, control, or vengeance.  But I believe that if many more people were shown peace, many would choose it.