The Fruit of Life

A parable: Once there was a king who held daily court for his people.  They would line up for a chance to see the monarch, or better, to have a word with him.

One poor man showed up regularly.  In his rags he would present the king with a fruit on each occasion. The king graciously accepted it and then threw it aside, seeing the source it came from.

For ten years the beggar showed up at the palace and presented his gift.  One day, a monkey escaped from its cage, grabbed the proffered fruit, and took a bite.  Squealing in pain the monkey threw it aside, revealing a precious gem inside.

There is so much that we come to know as we age.  In the first years of life we watched our children scrape their knees, cry and then get up and be more careful.  When young we learned many things but that knowledge was a different kind of knowledge we possessed we grew in age. 

A young person quickly gains the know-how to navigate through interpersonal issues.  Then comes wrestling with learning how to recognize a friend from a potential partner changing past paradigms.  We learn how to achieve our financial goals, which flux with time, and live with someone who has different ideals from us.  Parenting brings new understanding.  Old age presents its challenges and new understanding comes along replacing the old.

Life is not linear.  It has bumps and jolts and lots of u-turns. 

When the curtain of life is about to draw to a close where are we?  What have we learned in all the decades of wanderlust?  The process of ongoing learning, unlearning and re-learning?  Bumps and diversions? 

Does anything stand inviolate at the beginning and end of time?

Yes.  The word for this in Hebrew in emet.  Emet means truth. It is unchanging.  Emet stands and alone remains at the end of the day and at the end of a life.

What you knew as a child is what you know now: 

Life is for giving and receiving love.

-The world is a giant playground filled with weird smells, sounds and fabulous colors.  It is meant to play in.  Use.  Don't uproot. 

-There are dangers lurking everywhere.  It pays to stick together. 

-Nothing should be wasted because it is so much more fun to repurpose. Ask any four-year old what to do with an empty carton.  Or ask any eighty-four year old why she does not throw out her old things.  You never know.

-Share with those that do not have.  What are you going to do?  Have it interred with you? Leave it to a family that will glare at each other in court over what remains?

Above is a distillation of the Ten Commandments.  Emet.

About the only thing missing is G-d.  And of course, where we began is where we end.  The first prayer we learned was the Sh’ma.  It will be the last words out of our mouths before our soul ascends.

So eat the fruit.  Enjoy but bite slowly in case there is a ruby hiding inside and more than likely, there will be.