as it was in the beginning . . .

This phrase – as it was in the beginning, is now, and forever shall be – is known the world over to anyone familiar with the Christian faith as part of the Gloria Patri (or Glory Be), a doxology praising the holy trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It came to mind today over coffee with one of my children as we discussed everything from the extraordinary duration of LeBron James’ playing career to whether we should all stop exchanging gifts at Christmas to the finer points of certain yoga poses.

As I listened to him, I recalled having interests similar to his on my mind when I was his age along with his energy and enthusiasm. That has changed, of course, because I’m not his age; I’m my age and, generally speaking, share the interests of someone my age. “This is as it should be,” I thought as I marveled at this observation. Or, I mused, “If I put another way, I could say that the more things change, the more they stay the same.” So this phrase struck me. Now, you may prefer a simple “It is what it is.” Or you might like the complex and nuanced; quantum physics continues to break new ground, even suggesting that our linear perception of time is a misunderstanding of reality and that everything exists at once. When you start thinking about any of it, though, it all begins to sound a lot like the Glory Be which is what came to my mind during our conversation.

But there are two ways to take all of this. One would be to despair over a lack of free will or agency if to feel as if your destiny or fate is out of your hands. I reject that. I chose the alternate view, which is that we always have a choice even if that choice is severely limited by external circumstances. The great Viktor Frankl said as much, and he framed that in his conviction that “the greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life.”

As humans, we all follow the same trajectory of development, both physical and psycho-social. It’s too easy to dismiss each other thinking we’ve been there, done that. We are all the same, but we are each unique. Every one of us has to grow in our own way, in our own life, walking our own path, as Joseph Campbell said.

So, do that. Be active. Make choices. Make meaning. Do not despair that you have no agency or that you can’t change something. You do. And, you can. With every choice you make, you choose who you are. Be who you want to be.

© 2025 www.megreilly360.com

10/6/2025