401 years ago my ancestors first arrived on the North American continent. They arrived aboard the Mayflower. They were present at the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth in 1621. It's almost impossible for me to imagine the resolve, zealotry and sheer will power possessed by those Europeans, my ancestors, who were in North America in 1621. I can imagine in theory, but can I truly understand? I can't. Our lives are too assured, too easy today, comparatively.
I may not be able to truly live in the mind of my ancestors of 4 centuries ago, but I can try to center myself on their cares, their beliefs. What mattered to them? What was their purpose? What was their mission? What animated their spirit? Do my orientations today fall in the same direction? Of course, they cannot be the same, again my life is too easy compared to theirs. But, would they understand a bit of my heart? Could I understand a bit of theirs? What really matters?
I am so thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon my family. I thank the Lord daily for them. I have a wife and beautiful, healthy children. I have been blessed with the responsibility of passing on to our children that which I am, come from and believe. I don't make the most money in the world, my life is more tumultuous than many may wish for but I wouldn't trade places with anyone, ever. Not for one minute.
We cannot have it all. We cannot. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves, or you. There is always [read with deep low undertone of importance] a trade off. There always is. Boss babe feminism for women has destroyed so many girls. Status-signaling worship has destroyed the soul of many men. So many are so lost in a destructive spiral of popularity approval seeking that they will destroy themselves and their children so that others approve of them. So many have traded their inheritance which is theirs to pass on for the earnest pursuit of Last Man-ism. Lives of comfort, ease, predictability, entertainment, monetary reward. No family, no love, no God, no future, dead-end.
Many are completely blind to the world they live in and their religious muscle has gone dead from so many years of disuse they can't imagine feeling or believing anything beyond temporal approval and affirmation. We all must make a trade off. We all must choose that which we will sacrifice for something else. We cannot live forever, we will not be young forever. We cannot save our souls and reap the reward of a sick world. We all must choose.
I am so thankful for all that I have. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with that which matters most in this world. Family, God, my soul, love and tradition. I am so thankful for my son, our oldest, who made me a father. Without him, I would not have become a father and I would not have come to learn so many things which cannot be put into words. I am so thankful to have been saved from the clutches of liberalism. We are all, for decades now, born into the clutches of liberalism and we must find a way to save ourselves from those gears which are destined to grind us up, unless we escape. I do feel like my life was saved. I look at so many I have known or know, and I wish they had what I have. God controls the world, and it was God who saved me from the fate of so many we all know.
I am also thankful that while I may not be able to control so much in the world, I am at least aware of what is happening. Anyone reading this should feel confident in saying the same thing. We may not be able to stop all the evil, there are so many forces beyond us. But, at least we are aware of what is happening, at least we can protect our families, our children, our souls. Imagine being a sitting duck, completely unaware, pushed around by the great tides with no chance of protecting yourself. Even if we have nothing else, to have this, is to have a form of armor against the postmodern world that is invaluable.
My life may be a breeze compared to all of my ancestors, there may be an inherent gulf between us due to our being born in different times. But, I can try to live a life full of concerns, pursuits, beliefs and values which hopefully would not seem entirely and totally ludicrous to them. I can attempt to live a life that would not be be viewed as pathetic by my ancestors and which, God willing, will not be viewed as ludicrous to my decedents. What is it that really matters in this life? What is it that leads to a truly fulfilled life, a life one can be proud of? It isn't the easiest life, it isn't the most predictable life, it is not the life of a Last Man, it is much more than that. I am always reaching toward that, hoping toward something, hoping to not be completely ridiculous while being born into a completely ridiculous time.