Working in the garage today on my latest barn door project. I decided to listen in on a personal development call with a friend of mine and hear what his group was discussing today. Little did I know I would have to put the nail gun down to wipe a tear from my eye. And no, it wasn't the sawdust.
Dylan was talking about time travel and how I am both my Grand Father and my Son's son at the same time. Years may separate us, but we are all one. This might sound too woo-woo for you, but hear me out.
Every time I'm working with wood, I feel the presence of my grandpa right there with me. I may not have the carpentry skills that he did, but the spirit of DIY is certainly in my DNA.
Then Dylan talked about Sesame Street and how when the original Mr. Hooper died, they used it as an opportunity to teach children about death. A very heavy subject, but a necessary one for life.
They used Big Bird to make the connection that Mr. Hooper had been a part of their lives for so long but now he is gone, but there was a newborn baby on that episode that had never been there before but is now part of their lives. It's simply amazing. The circle of life. Even though people leave this physical world can still be connected to them not just through our memories, but through our DNA.
The next part of the call is what really brought me to tears. Let me try to paraphrase what Dylan said.
"Whether or not he ever taught you anything about carpentry, genetically, you possess the same information that he has. Your DNA is encoded with everything he went through in his life, every experience he had. Our DNA is amazing, it's not just linear. You are your grandpa when you're working. He's not just with you, he is you. And as you touch the tools, all it takes is more practice. And he is there with you to guide you. Time means nothing. He is still in you. And you are in him."
What he was talking about is essentially time travel between lifetimes of our families. When my son is my age, I will be 69 years old. He may have a son of his own. I will be a Grand Father. As I work with my hands and build these barn doors, I'm encoding my grandchild with my skills. My work today is changing his life forever. That's a powerful thought...
And the work that he will do someday, is healing me today. Just as I build this door today, I'm healing my Grandpa.
We are all connected through this magical power that we can barely comprehend. But it's a new perspective that helps me appreciate the little things. It reminds me to be patient, slow down and really focus on what is important in life. Because our time in this physical body is very short. I want to enjoy every moment of it and try to always be the best version of myself that I can.
