What’s your definition of life?

If you were to choose your favorite life metaphor, what would it be?

Do you agree with Forrest Gump when he said his mother told him that “life is a box of chocolates” because “you never know what you’re going to get”?

Or do you prefer the phrase from the 1930’s tune that “life is just a bowl of cherries”?

Though simply stated, each conveys a different view. A “box” implies mystery, as do the pieces of chocolate inside. We don’t know what’s in a closed box and we don’t know what’s in a covered chocolate, while a bowl of cherries is completely in view as are its contents.

So depending on which metaphor you prefer, we could probably make a guess that you’re an optimist if you like singing about a bowl of cherries and a pessimist, or at least a skeptic if you’re a fan of Forrest Gump’s quote (and afraid of getting one of those chocolate covered cherries!)

On one hand…I’m a chocolate lover, NOT a cherry lover. AND, on the other hand, I’m also known as an optimist! So…there’s obviously more to choosing a metaphor than it might appear.

It’s no surprise that folks try so many different comparisons in an effort to get a handle on a topic as big as “what’s life?” For life is complicated and intricate!

For example did you know that both Karl Marx and Henry Ford, of all people seem to agree. Marx said “Life is working” and Ford said “Life is work.” I didn’t know that!

So here’s some other possibilities to consider:

My favorite idea, however, comes from the Jewish Theological Seminary: “A life is a single letter in the alphabet. It can be meaningless. Or it can be part of a great meaning.”

I’m curious as to how YOU would describe life!