EVERYTHING IS PENDING

Among the major self-challenges in my life’s work has been to afford my efforts both insight and brevity.

And in my book JACOB THE BAKER, I am self-reminding that, “Change is the only constant.”

Not bad, I thought, 5 words, and truth be told, this is the truth.

But as change is the only constant, a few months back I was in a conversation with some colleagues, and I off-handedly said, “Look!

At the end of the day, everything is pending.”

And the conversation froze, and the others looked at me and said, “Write that down Noah!”

And I did, because long ago I realized I sometimes say and write things wiser than I am.

And a poet/philosopher isn’t someone who is always writing poetry but just as often witnessing it.

And plucking it, like a fruit in season.

And putting the parenthetic poetry of silence around it.

Because, again borrowing from Jacob, “It is the silence between the notes that makes the music.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, “Everything is pending.”

There you have it in 3 words.

And in support, please see the story below from my new book WE ARE ALL JACOB’S CHILDREN - A Tale of Hope, Wisdom and Faith.

If I could capture this dialogue with any more truth or brevity, I would. After all, my new book only took 20 years of learning, and relearning and 5 years to write. But stay tuned. Humility sharpens every knife. And in this brief life, there is no success only practice.

THERE IS NO SUCCESS ONLY PRACTICE

“Jacob,” asked a cleric hesitantly, “what do you think is the right attitude to prepare one for what the day-to-day can bring?”

“Prepare but do not presume,” said Jacob.


“But, what is the difference?”


“We have to walk down life’s path,” said Jacob, “prepared for the greatest joy to leap out and embrace us at any moment.

“And we have to walk down life’s path prepared for the greatest evil to leap out and attack us at any moment.


“And we have to walk down life’s path prepared for absolutely nothing to happen at any moment.

“And we have to walk down life’s path prepared for any and none of these things to happen concurrently.”

The cleric was stunned. “Who can live this way?”


“You can, brother,” said Jacob.


“What if I fail?”


“We all do,” said Jacob. “That’s why I called you brother.”

“Well, what if I succeed?”


“There is no success,” said Jacob, “only practice.”

Everything is pending.

- Noah benShea