Keepers of the Flame

It is easy for me to assume that life has always been the way I know it now.

I flip a switch and the room is filled with light. With a few clicks, I have access to a vast variety of information and people. There is very little in my day to remind me of how fragile and and precious our path has been. It is easy not to realize the tremendous debt of gratitude I owe to the people who, living hundreds of years ago, made my life today possible.

Each generation builds on the past to lay the foundation for the future.

Our story is one of people who have struggled and made great sacrifices to learn things that we take for granted today.

Before we could flip a switch to create light, it was crucial to be able to start and maintain a fire. It could be a matter of life and death. Keeping a fire meant having light and warmth, as well as being able to cook. Before I could research any subject so quickly online, information was preserved by people with the knowledge and wisdom to keep it safe.

I can turn my lights on today because people kept the fire burning each day. I can have a conversation around the world today because people protected information for generations.

We do not make choices in a vacuum. It is significant for us to appreciate how we got here today as we set a course for the future. How will choices that I make today affect the lives of people hundreds of years from now?

What flame are you keeping today?

How are you building on the past to lay the foundation for the future?

[Image by kkalyan]