Letter to the Editor - May 2, 2019
The art of renewal
This time of year traditionally ushers in a sense of renewal and revitalization. Many religious traditions include a component of rebirth and the natural world itself begins to blossom and flourish around us. From putting away last year’s financials after filing the tax return to cleaning out the mounds of pollen from the garage, the whole rhythm of life during this season drives a sense of personal renaissance.
The pop culture zeitgeist this year has felt particularly plentiful in terms of rekindling old feelings with a refreshed sense of astonishment. The final season of Game of Thrones brings soaring dragons and undead armies back to throngs of fans worldwide after a year and a half hiatus. Watching Tiger Woods pumping his fist, donned in his traditional Sunday red at the Masters in Augusta, brought back a flood of memories from a decade ago. And the movie trailer for the final installment of the Star Wars saga (Rise of Skywalker) revisited 40 plus years of childhood anticipation and delight.
These experiences are a timely reminder to take a breath, look around and soak in the playful wonderment that surrounds us every day if we’re willing to let it in. Recognize when something in your life is important to you and spend the proper time and energy with it. As magical as it is to revisit old friends, it’s as important to make new ones and soak in the time with them RIGHT NOW. One day they will be the old friends that you are nostalgic to revisit and that “one day” is sooner than you think.
This life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s our chance to be our own Tiger, the Dragon Queen and Jedi. Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream Discover.”
If you live to your fullest right now, you’ll accumulate that much more to rekindle your soul when it triumphantly returns at some point in your future.
Peter Sniderman
Daniel Island