Infinity

Every atom you possess has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to becoming you.”  Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything 

October just happens to be one of my favorite months. I love the fresh chill in the morning air and the changing color of the leaves. It’s also my birthday month. I’ve now circled the sun 68 times.  As my life span is getting closer to ending here on the planet, I’ve been more intrigued with the existential questions such as where did I come from and where am I going when I die?  

Science explains how all life is made up of atoms and the only thing special about the trillions of them that make up one human being is that they do that, nothing short of a miracle! Upon death, it is postulated, that atoms are released from denser matter to be recycled. Atoms that were once us are utilized to become other forms like a flower or an elephant. That certainly puts a new spin on ‘we are one’ that I hadn’t realized before! 

What I also find fascinating and what helps me better appreciate the miracle of life is to try to comprehend the bigger picture, the much bigger picture, of the universe that we inhabit. There is a consensus from physicists that the big bang or the moment of creation occurred 13.7 billion years ago. In a single cracking instant, we were endowed with a universe that was vast, at least a hundred billion light years across. There are possibly an infinite number of universes and we simply live in one that combines things in the way that allows us to exist. It is estimated that Earth is 3.8 billion years old.

When I read about these theories of life and death in scientific terms, I sensed something was missing.  I wondered, but what happens to the energy of the soul?  Is the soul made up of atoms or something else? What is love and the purpose for it?   And how did all of these atoms come together to not only create matter, but beauty?

I recently finished an abstract painting that I entitled Inside Infinity. The painting depicts, for me, that I am and we all are inside the realm of the infinite beyond the edges of the universe as described by science. Yet I also know that I have infinity inside of me, a loving mysterious relationship that doesn’t die.  Perhaps you could call it expanding consciousness, source, God. And it is in this awareness and place in my soul that I find solace and purpose for my life living in such a huge universe.  I wonder, perhaps as we nurture our souls with expressing love, joy, gratitude and empathy, that the energy of these efforts gets churned up and recycled in the one heart to share for the evolving good. And perhaps it is not just atoms that we share and are made up from the infinite shores of the big bang but also the souls of all of creation.

Intention: Remember and live your life inspired every day by realizing that you are a miracle. Let love be your guide.