Interregnum

In my youth, there was a wise ruler who was treated harshly. Yet he had a successor, and he praised his successor, who took on the burden in a hard time, to his own ill, and was not fully rewarded in the bearing of it. And for both men, the people above and below gave thanks for firm rulership in times of struggle. The wise ruler was taken into a larger kingdom, though he never forgot his own, and in time, he became the keeper of the past in the house of his youth.

In my middle years, there was a kind ruler who was treated harshly. And he had a successor, whom he had treated well and whose career he had advanced. But this successor was ungrateful, and conspired mightily, and brought a poisoned dagger to the table. And yet, those who valued silver and gold and the wisdom of the world valued this successor greatly, and the kind ruler was forgotten for his goodness, while the evil of the successor was equally forgotten by many.

Yet there are times when there is enough time, and both the evil and good that men do live long enough to return upon them. This too I have seen.

As the Preacher said, "Cast your bread upon the waters, and you shall receive it again after many days." I have cast my bread away for years, and I am thankful that it has returned to me in measure greater than I could ever have expected. There is now enough to keep me going a long while.

I never was in it for the bread though. I remember that ever since I taught my first batch, I knew that leaving this life would be easy if only I could be sure that I had made some lives better, and made more lives better than worse. That has been my goal.

Non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.