Eighty Summers
Arithmetic, eternity, and why a short life is not a small one
Somewhere over the Atlantic · July 6, 2026 · 6 min read
From nine thousand metres the Atlantic looks like a field. You can see the curve of the thing, and it is very hard to feel important.
The arithmetic
Eighty summers. Maybe ninety. A number small enough to fit on a page.
Eternity does not make this life meaningless. It makes it consequential.
If nothing lasts, nothing matters. If something lasts, everything matters — the conversation, the money, the Tuesday.
A short life is not a small one. It is a life with edges, which is the only kind that can be spent well.
For the Way
Something to carry with you.
Scripture for the Way
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Counting is not morbid. It is the beginning of wisdom.
Questions to Think About & Discuss
- 1.If this year were one of forty remaining, what would you stop doing?
- 2.What is one thing worth doing that will still matter in a hundred years?
Practice
Write down the three things you want to be true of your life in ten years. Show them to one person who will ask you about them.
Life is short. Live forever.
Join the Journey
Field notes, adventures, ideas, coffee, projects, and occasional opportunities to gather, serve, or go somewhere worthwhile.