On the day of birth, the rest of the life of a person is subject to ambiguity. This observation comes from none other than Pope Benedict the 16th. He was describing the practice of commemorating the date of a saint’s death, as opposed to the saint’s birthday.
Until the day we die, we all live a life subject to ambiguity. This follows as a result of our free will to choose evil, or good. Evil is difficult to contend against. Eradicating it proves difficult. Solzhenitsyn makes a telling commentary when he asks: “The line between good and evil runs through every person’s heart, and who would tear out a piece of his own heart?”
by Patrick Gaffney
Our lives become no less ambiguous when we recognize that the human condition is hardwired for challenges. For example, there is miscommunication between people. There is addiction, compulsion, anxiety, depression, psychosis, neurotic behavior, and narcissism. This list could go on.
My mother told me something years ago that I’ve been turning around in my mind ever since. “The highest calling for a person is to help other people solve their problems.” My mother is with me in spirit now, and those words still resonate with me. In reflecting upon her wisdom, my life becomes somehow less ambiguous.
I’ve come to recognize the importance of work. I understand that the work one does is that person’s vocation—the purpose for their life. My work, as a divorce attorney in Clearwater FL involves ambiguity. It is seldom reduced to black and white. Within that grey area, the full collage of human emotions, together with the difficulty of human relationships is revealed. Helping persons who live ambiguous lives through the maze of the divorce process is my vocation. When I am put together with a client, I believe it is not a function of random chance. There are no coincidences. We are fellow travelers. I feel your burden. I will assist you in carrying it for a while.
