Norman Vincent Peale wrote about a doctor who gave his patient a peculiar prescription.
The patient had complained that he had a colossal amount of work to do, and he always felt pressured to get it done quickly. What's more, he was the only one who could do it, because it had to be done "just right."
The doctor looked at him intently and asked, "If I give you a prescription, will you follow it?"
The prescription was:
1) Take 2 hours off work every day for a long walk.
2) Take ½ day off work every week for a walk in a cemetery.
The puzzled patient asked, "why a cemetery?"
The doctor told him that walking among the gravestones will give him better perspective, and help him spend his time on Earth more wisely.
The patient followed the prescription and learned how to spend less time in a spindle of worry.
This story is significant to me because it's the first anniversary of my beloved Uncle Gersh's death.
Last year our family gathered in the cemetery, under a tent, with the rain pouring down and an occasional clap of thunder.
It's true that a stark cemetery forces you to take the pulse of your life.
It's so easy to squander our days. Luckily for us, we now have the good doctor's wisdom to guide us.
If we find ourselves wasting time fretting or fuming, we can simply refill our prescription, and take a walk in a cemetery.