I dreampt I was near death and visited by an Angel. I knew my end was at hand, but I needed to know what the purpose is to our mortal existence, so of course I asked.
The Angel did not speak, but I saw scenes flash inside my mind. I expected to see the obligatory scenes of helping others and other acts of kindness, and certainly there were those, but other moments appeared that were, at first, unclear. Moments of quiet inactivity-- some with myself and a co-worker, or watching a movie from the couch with a cat in my lap, there were even a few featuring insects. The only thing these images seemed to have in common was that they all seemed rather random, highly varied, and otherwise seemed completely inconsequential. This confused me. After all, is it not for our actions that our worth and goodness is determined?
The Angel remained silent, leaving me to ponder this question. After some time, I began to simply feel happy and content, merely by being in the presence of this divine entity, so I stopped worrying about the puzzling imagery. It no longer seemed all that urgent.
It was with mild surprise that I realized that my question had actually been answered. It was those moments where just being in my own company had brought light to another soul. The happy cat purring in my lap while I was watching a movie, the coworker to whom I had just given some advice, even the bugs I had taken outside and freed rather than squishing outright. There were quite a number of other small moments that I never thought of as a "big deal," but to someone else, they meant quite a bit more.
As I began to understand, I noticed that the Angel was smiling at me, just as I also began to realize this wasn't actually the end.
I awoke for the first time in ages well rested and content. I also had a fresh understanding. We don't have to be superheroes. Each of us impacts others in ways we often don't realize. An offhand comment, given with the intent of Love, still reverberates in the heart of the receiver. An absent-minded scratch behind the ears may merely bring me a small moment of joy, but means everything to the family pet. (In fact it is the highlight of her entire day.) Even the rescued insect feels a great amount of relief when it is spared. (Don't believe me? Ask the bug.)
I guess the TL;DL version of this lesson is that simply being a being in which others find comfort shines a bit more light into the void, and the more light that each of us shines, the more easily we can chase away the shadows that seemingly permeate everything these days. Even when we feel worthless, if we've been the cause of a genuine smile or laugh, or the feeling of safety and contentment, then we've been a success.
This is the Meaning of Life.
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