Bad news seems to travel in packs, like wild dogs that leap out from the bushes of my consciousness with only a slight wimpering to warn me.
Right before Christmas, I heard from a sister-in-law that her mother had had a heart attack. Right after Christmas, I heard from another sister-in-law that her father had
died. The same day, I talked with a business acquaintance and found out his best friend, at age 25, had died in small plane crash that was covered by the local paper. And later that day, my husband and I struggled with the ongoing drama of a family member’s mental illness.
It has taken me a few days to reflect on what this all means. Yesterday, I was at a local upscale mall, returning Christmas gifts that didn’t fit and buying holiday cards that should have been sent out weeks ago. In light of this last week, I was struck by the perfect world of the mall. In the mall, there are no deaths, no heart attacks, or mental illness. Or if there are, discreet security guards whisk the offender away before it ruins shoppers’ appetites for half-off sales.
Christmas must mean more than gifts and lovely dinners and getting together with family.
In a book I’m reading, "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci," (a good book, despite the cheesy title), the author has a great observation: “Some people like to muse on the philosophical conundrum, “What is the meaning of life?” But more practical philosophers ask, “How can I make my life meaningful?””
Perhaps this is the key. Rather than wondering what it all means, bad news should be my signal to take stock of whether I’m living a meaningful life. This is clearly what Leonardo Da Vinci did. He observed the world around him, took it all in, both the good and bad, and used his insights not to understand the meaning of life but to create all sorts of things—anatomically correct drawings, blueprints for flying machines, and masterpiece art. In doing so, he made his life meaningful.
Bad news is meant to stop me in my tracks and have me reflect. What is needed now from me in the world? How can I make my life meaningful?