THE DAYS BETWEEN
Image Source: Josh Berendes (Unsplash)
“Try to pass the days between as a good man.” -Sam Damon to Donny Damon in Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer.
We often hear that whatever we do in life, a message is found somewhere within the experience. I recently finished reading the fictional novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer. It is an epic story about career soldier Sam Damon, set both in war and in peacetime. I found one passage particularly enlightening for the beginning of a new year.
In one scene, Sam’s son Donny laments about his lot in life. Donny asks how he came to be the son of a career officer instead of a farmer, stevedore (dock worker), or sharecropper. Basically, he questioned how blessed he was to benefit from his father’s position, compared to someone who spent their life doing manual labor for little compensation. This conundrum tormented the younger Damon.
Sam replied that he had no answer for one of life’s mysteries. He told his son that the most enlightened philosophers could not answer this very pondering. Sam continued with a thoughtful answer when he said, “Accept what you are . . . You can’t change the circumstances of your birth and condition . . . The whole challenge in life is to act with honor and hope and generosity, no matter what you’ve drawn. You can’t help when or what you were born, you may not be able to help how you die; but you can - and you should - try to pass the days between as a good man” (pp. 928-929, 2013).
The softcover edition of Once An Eagle is almost 1300 pages long, and in this one scene, with one poignant line, I found the message inside as the platform for the year 2026. I, like Donny Damon, have often pondered why I am here on this earth, currently, and under these circumstances. Many of my readers have had similar musing - of this, I am sure.
I have found that when I have these perseverating thoughts, I will pose the question to myself, “Why did my life steer me in this direction? Why am I this person, and not that person?” Questions like these do not serve me well. My mission is to continue serving others in a vulnerable and authentic way through yoga, meditation, and peer support - this is how I will pass the days between now and completing my mission as a human being. I am here for these reasons, and no other that need a deep self-examination. I am who I am, and I will do what I can to make this world a better place to live.
I leave you with a song shared with me, "The Riddle," by Five For Fighting, which reminds us that amidst chaos and uncertainty, love and the connections we have to others will always be our guide. Feel free to use this message as a hallmark to your journey through 2026 and beyond. Instead of making resolutions, I invite you to ask yourself the following question, “How will I pass the days between?" Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
Resources
Myrer, A. (2013). Once an eagle. Harper Perennial.
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