The True Meaning of Life | By Patricia A. Fleming

The years have passed by
In the blink of an eye,
Moments of sadness
And joy have flown by.

People I loved
Have come and have gone,
But the world never stopped
And we all carried on.

Life wasn’t easy
And the struggles were there,
Filled with times that it mattered,
Times I just didn’t care.

I stood on my own
And still found my way
Through some nights filled with tears
And the dawn of new days.

And now with old age
It’s become very clear
That what I once found important
Was not why I was here.

And the many things
That I managed to buy
Were never what made me
Feel better inside.

And the worries and fears
That plagued me each day,
I knew in the end
Would just fade away.

But how much I reached out
To others when needed
Would be the true measure
Of how I succeeded.

And how much I shared
Of my soul and my heart
Would ultimately be
What set me apart.

And now what’s important
Is my opinion of me
And whether or not
I’m the best I can be.

And how much more kindness
And love I can show
Before life is over and
It’s my time to go.