𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐌𝐆𝐀 𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐖𝐀! Mayor’s insight for the week, shared during the Flag Raising Ceremony on May 18, 2026.

“A man walks through life painting a portrait, not of what he could have done, or should have done, but of what he did.” -Anonymous

THIS IS THE PIECE THAT WON THE WORTMELDUNGEN OR GERMAN SHORT FORM LITERARY AWARD

A man was dying; when he realized he was dying, he saw God holding a box in His hand.

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “It’s time to go.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “So soon? I had so many plans.”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “Sorry, but it’s time to go!”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝: “What’s in your box?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “Your belongings.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝: “My belongings? You mean: all my things? My clothes, my money, and so on?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “Those are no longer yours!

They belong to the earth.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “What about my memories?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “They belong to time.”sw

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝: “My family and friends?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “No, they were temporary!”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝: “What about my wife and children?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “They belong to your heart.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧: “So surely the contents of the box are my body parts, right?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “No; they belong to dust!”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “Then surely it’s my soul?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “Wrong! Your soul belongs to Me.”

The man, with tearful eyes and great fear, took the box from God and opened it, only to find it empty.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝: “I never had anything?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “That’s right, you owned nothing.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝: “So, what did I have?”

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝: “The moments of your life were yours.

Every moment that you lived was yours. Life is just moments; treasure the moments

and love the moments. Let us treasure each other and the good moments we share. Let’s enjoy and make best of getting together at this stage in our life.

…. this is indeed life’s best message and lesson on how to live life to the fullest….