"Detachment is not that you
should own nothing, but that
nothing should own you."
~Ali ibn abi Talib, the last of
four Rightly Guided Caliphs
to rule Islam immediately aft
the death of Muhammad; he
was the first Shia Imam. His
succession caused a major
rift between Muslims and
divided them into Shia and
Sunni groups. Wikipedia
'Tis most interesting those
changes in attitude as we find
ourselves in the last years of
our lives. I've heard it said
that the first half of our lives
is spent collecting and the
last half in giving away. We
humans are something else,
aren't we?!
I can remember my mom
couldn't let anyone leave her
home without giving them
something. It didn't matter if
they wanted it or not, or if it
was ridiculous or wonderful,
you didn't leave empty handed.
I find myself emulating her to
some degree. I've given away
everything on my will that I
could. Treasures in my home
go out the door with just the
right person. I love that!
I do find myself wishing I had
spent more on experiences and
less on treasures . . . but I was a
when in doubt, do both person.
No regrets really . . .
Looking at the above quote,
I do think that in my younger
years, my treasures, as I like to
think of them, owned me. In my
dotage, I do believe I've actually
found an iota of balance.
I see I said iota rather than perfect,
oh well . . .
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