In 1972 our family started attending a congregation filled with uber fascinating people.
For example, there were these three adult sisters, who were very attractive. They dressed like southern belles. Their hair was fancy and piled ever so carefully upon their heads. Their makeup was heavy, but evenly applied to give the appearance of soft, white skin. Their perfume lingered ever so subtly as they walked by. Listening to the sweet cadence of their voices was hypnotic.
They were always on the move hosting parties, preaching their positive theology to youth groups, and attracting famous entertainers to their lifestyles. It was an exciting time for our family to be around them.
After living over a decade in that neighborhood, our family moved to South America, then to Salt Lake City, Utah. After a while, we lost contact with the sisters.
Around 2000, my wife and I were attending a political event, and guess who shows up? The three sisters.
They were older. One sister had a neck brace on, and was going to have some kind of neck fusion. Another sister had gained considerable weight ( I have nothing against weight gain – I’m a bit pudgy myself these days.) The third one didn’t know who I was, and had a slight yell to her voice as we reacquainted.
I was taken aback by what I saw. I felt a little bit disillusioned. What happened to the southern belles, and their flamboyant dresses? Their fancy hairdos, and sweet chatter?
Answer: They had gotten older. Very natural and very normal. Right?
Not for me.
I expect to see people the way they were when I first met them. Anything less and I have a brain cramp.
I become disillusioned – I feel like life is playing tricks on me. I want it to be like it was, not how it is.
Really?
It’s not life that has played tricks on me, I alone have played tricks on myself without realizing it.
There’s nothing permanent about anything. Life is inherently impermanent.
EVERYTHING changes constantly.
Key to this riddle? Take in every moment as though it were the last moment, because quite literally it is.