Collateral Beauty

There is a movie trailer that I recently re-watched for the second time due to my excitement to see it in December.  It stars Will Smith, is called "Collateral Beauty" and is about a man who used to really enjoy his life but then had troubles with it.  He would write letters to the three things that connect all people to each other: Love, Time, and Death.  No matter who you are, everyone is looking to be connected by love.  This could be in the form of getting hired for certain gigs, being recognized as being an attractive person, being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (congratulations Bob Dylan), or being lucky enough to get connected to another person who you fall in love with (and hopefully falls for you, too, of course).  Time is something that we all want more of.  It can be prized and treasured by some or feel like it's something that we don't have enough of.  "If only I had more time, I could practice more!"  "If only I had more time, I could see my kids play soccer."  "I'm so busy, I just don't have enough time to meet you for coffee!"  And lastly, for most people, we fear death (although, statistically, it's only the no. 2 fear of the general public, after public speaking).  Some could argue that much of what we do in our lives is a way to avoid death, to help us to live longer.  Yet we also can find tremendous connection with other people through death.  The people who have died in my life have taught me invaluable lessons about living a life that I would not regret once I meet death myself.  And the deaths of some people I knew have brought me closer to other people who are still living.  Death is also guaranteed and something that we as humans know will happen to every one of us.  As a result, we should want to use our time wisely and fruitfully before death meets us.  I enjoy watching TV and being lazy just as much as the next guy, but I wouldn't say that time spent with TV is as meaningful as, say, having dinner with a beautiful woman and spontaneously going to a great tribute concert where awesome singers play homage to Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, John Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain (this guy's set helped me relive a part of me that I had forgotten about!).  Within these experiences, we feel all the feelings of life that are a part of love.... Laughter, joy, warmth, art, music, connection, curiosity, growth, acceptance.  And if we play our cards right, we will meet death not in a defensive karate stance, as to say, "No, I am not ready!  This is not fair!"  But maybe with open arms, as to say, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to use my time to discover what love is.  I will now walk with you as the powerful play of life continues for others after me."