From the time I was a child, my mom and dad always had a home improvement project underway. I remember at one point they had a list of major improvements they wanted to make, one of which was the remodeling of the kitchen. My dad promised my mom that he would do it upon his retirement, which he did at the age of 62. It was a major undertaking which required moving the sink to a different position under the window, putting in new cabinets, flooring, ceiling, walls, outlets, and more. When completed it was a beauty to behold. For a few years it was one project after another until they completed their list. It seemed that they could sit back and enjoy their home, which they did, but it wasn’t long before other projects were underway. Fifteen years after he retired, my father found out that he had cancer and that his days were numbered. He asked my mom to make him a list of things she would like to have done. He worked steadily to complete them up until the day he no longer had strength to work, completing all but one. My mom lived in their home for twenty-two years after his death, never wanting to move because she always felt his presence through his handywork and the projects they worked on together. They passed away in the same room, in the month of June, twenty-two years apart. In the same room where, I remember kneeling around the couch in family prayer.
Today I thought about how their projects invigorated their lives, and I thought to myself, perhaps the real joy of life is found in working on projects that bring joy and meaning to your life with those you love. Perhaps we are most alive when we find a cause that brings out the best in us, even if it is a cause that we must ultimately die for. Are you working on a project? If you knew that your time was limited to a set number of weeks, months, or years, what would you be doing? Would you pick up the pace, or slow down? Would you narrow your list, or expand it?