Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Look up at the stars

I happened to listen to the great physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking's interview yesterday.  What resonated with me were the three pieces of advice that he gave to his children:

"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.  Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away."

I have to say that I have looked up at the stars and into the depths of the ocean and at many wonders in Nature.  But I have also looked down at my feet just to keep myself from falling flat on my face.  But thankfully, I have never ceased to wonder.

As for work, I am engrossed in it still.  And with a greater ease than I've had in many years.  I am thankful that there is much work still to do, maybe now more than ever.  I am still looking for solutions, even when the problems seem insurmountable.  Lamentation is allowed but action is much more meaningful to me. 

And the last thought about love.....well, I am glad that I haven't squandered it.  Maybe I have been a slave to it, but I am glad to have loved and been loved with both furious passion and quiet resolve.  It is sometimes painful but ultimately worth the price. 

15 comments:

  1. I would have liked to hear Dr Hawking speak. Hubby and I are such fans of his. Sounds like great advice for his children. And sounds like you pretty much followed that advice without getting it from Dr Hawking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...

    Said someone, who probably was not hanging halfway off a high bridge about to jump ~ but, aye! ~ it's probably true ...

    And work is good. As long as pay and conditions aren't half bad.

    (Or even better, if you're working from home and your own boss, ha-har!!)

    Hey I had a go at navigating through the German blogosphere, but I think most of the people who got my comments probably thought I was mentally retarded (rather than foreign and retarted) ~ despite all efforts to the contrary my grammar is schrecklich and furchtbar!!

    O no I've got to go that pigeon is coo-cooing YET AGAIN

    I know how Quasimodo felt now

    THE BELLS! THE BELLS!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Syd,thanks for stopping by with the words of encourgement.it means a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Any way I am seeing it, you have worked, loved, and lived Syd. And you have done these well.

    Continue on, sailor! Life's only half over. The better half is in front of you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. those are three great pieces of advice...i have loved furiously, gazed in wonder, but the who job thing, i pretty much blew it....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful post, Syd. I love this one...

    ReplyDelete
  7. beautiful post and BEAUTIFUL lowcountry shot :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you have done a good job of fully living life.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You know what's important. I love that about you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sometimes I look down to avoid stepping on the adorable caterpillars that start running around on all the hiking trails this time of year. Other than that, very good advise.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very nice Syd...good advice for the children in all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful advice. Thank you for sharing it in such a lovely way.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great reading this Syd. Thank you for sharing it. Love reading you, as always. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sorry for that slightly frazzled-sounding comment there. I think I did have a point ... (somewhere) ... but I don't think it made it down the line (somehow)

    hmmm

    ReplyDelete

Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.