When everything fades away-your souls won’t-because they are immortal!

By: Angelica Vecchiato

Being of a contemplative and pensive mindset, it is oft that I find myself reflecting

most soberly on the many mysteries of life, endeavoring to unravel this most perplexing

enigma. In my extremely fantastical and youthful mind, I can’t help but imagine, at times

almost jocosely, the magnanimous possibilities looming on the horizon of life as it could

be in the future. In one lavish reflection, I picture myself as wealthy as Warren Buffet,

living in an immense and opulent New York penthouse, overlooking the bustling city. In

another daydream, I see myself as popular and as well loved as Princess Diana, always

cherished in the memory of the people. And in other (widely whimsical) thought, I see

myself as the prime minister of Canada- similar to Kim Campbell, in trying to break that

record for the first female prime minister.

I, like so many others my age, suffer from the symptoms of adolescence which is

to harbor (well founded) enthusiasm for the prospects of the future. Teenagers,

undoubtedly, want to live as fully and as deeply as possible for the future, they want to be

dauntless, fearless, the happiest they can be, they want to “carpe diem”--seize the day,

that is teeming with opportunity! Oftentimes, youth tie these future opportunities and

happiness to wealth and success, projecting themselves and their future lives onto those

who in their opinion have already achieved this worldly success. While trying to attain

success and popularity may well be a noble design and ambition for the future, it is important to remember that wealth, popularity, power--these are only temporary! Yes-

temporary, short-term, make-shift(whichever adjective you prefer)!

Although individuals might have accumulated wealth, fame, glory even- at the

end-the most blatant truth is that when they arrive at the close of their earthly journeys(the decrescendo of life’s musical scale, for more poetic and rhetorical emphasis), they will be unable to take these material possessions with them. Wealth is of the world, and hence it will stay with the world. Fame is of the world, and like wealth, will stay with the world as well. There is only one thing humans have within them which transcends the world. Only one thing: our souls. Unlike wealth or power, our souls(which every single human has) is immortal--it will never die! For those who would like to contend with the last point, the immortality of the soul isn’t something which sprang from my imagination. In fact, Socrates, a renowned Greek philosopher before the time of Christ, argued that the soul was immortal because it had life within it(more information as to the argumentation behind this ancient theory is to be found in Plato’s Phaedo).

Our soul is our legacy- an everlasting one at that. Although we might want to be

rich, in the end, those paper bills will decompose in the ground--while our souls won’t,

they will transcend the physicality of the earthly realm for a spiritual and undying one.

This enduring legacy will be remembered in eternity by the state of our souls. Our

immortal legacy mainly covers how we reacted while situations of our life unfolded. How

did we act in difficult or trying times? Who, during the course of our life, did we help

with the most sincere intentions? Did we influence an individual in a positive light? Did

we endeavor to become the best version of ourselves at all times? These important

questions, and their subsequent answers, address the state of our souls, and in turn the

strength of our deathless legacy. Instead of vying to be the most famous or most affluent,

let’s work on our perfecting legacy--our immortal legacy-- so that in our deeds, words,

and actions, we might remain alive forever!