The Secret Gift
by Stephen Gilbert
This is a Hopi symbol called “The Man in aMaze.” I love this
symbol in light of the my work.
Technically this image is not a “maze.” It is a labyrinth. The
difference is that a maze is a puzzle designed to trick and be deceiving. There
are dead ends and wrong turns. But a labyrinth is not a puzzle. As one moves
through a labyrinth all one must do is keep moving, and the destination will
always be reached. There are no dead ends or wrong turns. In a metaphorical
sense, a labyrinth is a journey whose end is certain. There is one way in, and
one way out.
As a person that assists others in planning and funding their
end-of-life events, I find this image and the notion of a labyrinth compelling.
As human beings we are all on our journey. Each of them is
different, yet occasionally our journeys cross paths. Relationships are formed,
and they become part of our journey. Dreams sometimes motivate us along them
way. Risks are taken, or not. Sometimes we fail at what we set out to do; other
times we succeed. Yet, it is all the same journey, and if we but keep moving,
the end is certain.
I have met many people in the work I do that say something like
this: “I don’t want to be a burden on my family, just cremate me and dump me
out,” or “I don’t want a fuss made over me, just get it over with.”
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This article has been republished in part or full from an Age in Place Professionals member's website. Read the orignal article at the author's website >>
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