Friday, July 18, 2008

Don't Waste Time

Recent events have caused me to think much about life and death and really take note as to how I am living my life, the condition of my relationships with family and friends, and mostly my relationship with God. (the obvious trigger to these thoughts being the loss of our dear friend, Jason)

Yesterday, my husband and I engaged in our normal post work day conversation and he said to me, "When will it end?" My response was, "When will what end?" He went on to tell me of a coworker who was killed in an accident yesterday during the morning. And a different colleague had also experienced the death of a nephew in an accident. It seems that suddenly, death is all around us.

When will the next person be called out of life on earth?

Fred's father is very ill with cancer. I have a dear friend at work who is battling cancer. My son's girlfriend's father is in the same fight. Another friend has a father in ICU, near death, and not a believer. Those are the one's who have a condition that could take their life. Any of us could be in an accident of some sort.

I have a friend who experienced the suicide of someone she knows this week. This same friend is estranged from a parent and also from a former "best" friend. (we have this in common) She is working on forgiveness. Her father has been abusive and her friend betrayed her; neither have asked for forgiveness but her desire is to do so anyway. Wow, can I ever relate! She does not want something to happen (as in death) before forgiveness takes place as it is not appealing to contemplate having to forgive over a corpse.

Everywhere around me I am reminded that the only moment I have is right now. I am happy to have been reminded that if only and what if are phrases that I will take out of my vocabulary.

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean