what is the meaning of life?

Chris painting my face with icing on my 18th birthday :)

I'm a huge pack rat when it comes to memories. I am obsessed with keeping thoughtful cards, notes, drawings, letters, etc and if it weren't for the fact that a few years ago I gave myself the limit of one shoebox full of these kinds of things, I'm pretty sure I'd be featured on an episode of Hoarders...which, by the way, I literally can't watch anymore because the people and their homes gives me anxiety. 

This morning I woke up at 7am. On a Saturday. With nothing to do. Oh, life. So, I began to de-clutter my apartment a bit (again, hoarders = major anxiety) and stumbled upon my self allotted one shoebox of memories. After cracking it open and smiling/giggling/sighing over its contents for a few minutes I decided I'd really like to share a few of my favorite things inside, starting with an email from an old friend circa 2002.  For 3 years Chris emailed a group of his friends a "quote of the day" and in his final message at the end of our summer before moving to our respective colleges he put together a compilation of AIM responses (ahhh, AIM! I miss my misst148 and delish620 days) to the question "what is the meaning of life?".

Some snippets of people's replies I think you may enjoy are below :) I've abbreviated their names to just initials for privacy purposes. If any LHS kittens are reading this, do you recognize any of the answers?!

Subject: Quote of the day 8/18 It's Time....

"...It's time for most of us to venture down a different road now. And there is no room for fear. Time lends itself to us. We lend ourselves to our surroundings. I have been doing these quote of the days for almost 3 years now...trying desperately to find some semblance of meaning in the words of others and I've no question I've found it. The only way to find what you truly wish in life is to realize what is out there. To try anything, to find some kind of crack in the sidewalk that you can slip yourself into and hope to smooth out the course for others. Make some kind of impact....So I'm leaving you, once again, with food for thought. But for the last time. Because in this world, it's not what you've heard other people say. It's what you say for yourself....Because it's not where you're from, it's where you're at.  Enjoy!"

What is the meaning of life?

JC: if i knew i think i would be very happy right now

KT: me?

AW: 42

JM: to fulfill oneself

KD: you are asking the wrong person....

KW: i couldn't tell you for sure but i think it's something to do with loving all that we can and making things beautiful in whatever way we're able.

AC: umm...chocolate chip cookies, pizza and the beach? ;)

JU: reproduce then die

KH: eat, sleep, fall in love and make a name for yourself

PT: who knows what life is maybe life is already done. you can't get a good answer on that 1....why don't you go on www.poetry.com

KI: to find some sort of gold at the end of the rainbow

AH: gotta go. bye.

DF: wow...well i really do not know
DF: there is no meaning.
Chris: i thought you didn't know
DF: well i thought about it

DH: disney world and rocky horror

Me (ugh, I'm so embarrassing): well i think the hardest battle anyone can really fight is the battle to be just "you"...and once you do that, maybe the answer sorta provides itself.

KH: if i knew...i would tell you. the only thing i could come up with ....is that us people are put on this earth to do something...its just that no one can figure out what that something is

DS: i want to give you an answer but im pretty sure i would just babble on trying to say something that sounded like a smart thing to say.

BH: can't talk...essay for euro

LT: to live for God

CH: i dont know, ask Mr. Owl

.........................................................................................................................

Almost 10 years later and I can't help but wonder how these folks would answer the question now. Heck, I wonder how *I* would answer that question now. Food for thought for another day, I suppose...

I love my little shoebox of memories.

In Gratitude,

Trish

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