For a while, there was one nun who was all over my social media feed. Isn’t it funny how things work these days? This particular nun was very active online at that point,, and she posted a lot about Memento Mori, which is basically the practice of remembering that we are mortal, and looking at life through that lens. It stuck with me.
She encouraged people to get a Memento Mori reminder–namely a skull. Now, my family couldn’t handle a skull on my desk. It would be a little triggering, honestly. So instead of a skull to remind myself of my own death, I got myself a galaxy in a ball to remind myself of eternity.
It helps me to focus on what really matters. Sometimes I get deeply disappointed–something that looked like it was coming my way, and didn’t reach me, or life just not turning out the way I’d hoped. They say you should ask, “Will this matter in five years?” But an even better question to ask is, “Will this matter on the other side?”
If my life were required of me right now, would that achievement matter at all? And honestly? Most of them wouldn’t. But there are things that I truly believe will echo into eternity, like kindness, generosity, encouragement, honesty, and our care for fellow human beings regardless of our differences, or borders, or personal struggles. On the other side, a lot of things we agonize over here and now will be completely meaningless.
The things that last into eternity don’t make us rich. They don’t impress people. But we’ll be glad we prioritized them. And it will make this mortal coil a little more beautiful while we’re here.
It’s something to think about, right? It’s something I’m thinking about.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and happy reading!
Patricia Johns 
Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy. Seriously!