Lessons From the Petoskey Stone

The other day as I was working on my beach clearing winter debris, I found a Petoskey Stone. So I picked it up, admired it's beautiful hexagonal pattern and put it in my pocket like I usually do, and then continued my work.

Then the thought hit me: this isn't JUST a stone, this is a TIME MACHINE! This stone is the fossilized coral remains of Hexagonaria Percarinata which, now extinct, existed 350 million years ago!!

Humbled and awed, I took the stone out of my pocket and sat down. I rolled the stone in my fingers thinking of the small animals who once lived in a coral colony in the water literally in front of my cottage. The only thing which remains of their life, is this pretty stone. The native Ojibwe tribe originally named this stone, "Petosegay", meaning "rising sun" or "rays of dawn".

It hit me, I mean REALLY hit me: In the best case scenario, we live only for 100 years and only about 70 years if we're average. Wrap your mind around the fact of how truly short of a period of time that is in relation to the rest of history......

[dramatic pause]

We are but a quick heartbeat, a short breath in relation to ALL of history. And yet, each of us has the capacity and ability to live as though the WHOLE WORLD was created JUST for us!!

The question is: What are WE going to leave behind as "proof" that we were ever here?

The small creatures which once resided in this ancient coral colony did not have self-awareness. The only thing they could leave behind is "recycled" calcium and other minerals from their environment. They created their home from materials around them. As time went by, former marine animals died, and others were born and lived out their lives on the calcium carbonate remains of their ancestors. Eventually, these homes were frozen in time immemorial.

Unlike the Petoskey Stone, we do have self-awareness.

Self-awareness is both a blessing and a curse because it brings with it freedom. And with freedom is responsibility. And with responsibility, there is fear.

Are we going to focus our time on things like bank accounts, careers, houses, etc?

Or are we going to focus our time on things like relationships (with others as well as our self), love, spirituality, connection etc?

One path is material.

One is immaterial.

One path is limited by resource.

The other path is limitless.

The choice is ours how we want to live.

I'm keeping the Petoskey Stone in my pocket for a while to remind me of which path I choose.