If today were your last day in this body, what would you want to be experiencing – truly experiencing? Would it be the voice or touch of a loved one, listening to the sounds of the birds or enjoying a conversation with a friend, eating a favorite meal, watching the way the waves break on the shore, walking through a forest of trees or bed of flowers. . .?
One afternoon, there were 9 people grocery shopping in Boulder, Colorado, checking off their “to do” list, never giving a thought to the fact that it might be the last time they would be able to do or experience anything again. Perhaps we’ve had an inkling that flying in or jumping from a plane, rock climbing, or even driving a car could be a final act, but “grocery shopping”???
There are no warnings for most of us, no guarantees. We’ve been experiencing anxiety this last year dealing with Covid, watching the figures of those who have died go up every day, giving us an awareness that it could be someone we love, including ourselves. It has hopefully increased our understanding and appreciation for these precious moments with those we care about.
Perhaps living with this consciousness has made us more aware of what is valuable – those we love, this one moment in time, our very breath. One day we may take a breath, breathe it out and then – NOTHING. There is no assurance that there will always be another one. In fact, we can bet everything on the fact that someday there won’t. We just don’t know when.
But why wait? What if you were to live each day as though it were your last? Would you live differently? Would you want to experience it with a loving heart, an open mind and a desire to leave behind a little more love and kindness? Maybe this day, we can each do what they whose lives were cut short will never be able to do again. For Officer Eric Talley, who gave his life to protect others, he will never be able to hug his 7 children and tell them how much they are loved. It makes it ever more important to say, “I love you” when parting from someone who is dear in our lives.
My friend Cecily says, “Life is too short and wildly uncertain.” We have no control, no warranty on our one precious life. What we can commit to is doing what we love and making this the best life that we can in every moment.
We can live with gratitude and appreciation for each new day, each chance to enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset, every opportunity to say, “I love you”, and every time that we can say or do something that can make someone’s day – or life – a little better. Perhaps that will be the best measure of our lives in the end.
Blessings to you and your loved ones,
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This is a good reminder of dealing with my anxieties as I face each day with the things I think need attention, but reality hits me when I consider it being my very last day. What causes my daily anxiousness becomes insignificant. Thank you for the reminder of how precious life is!!
Thank you for sharing, Ruth-Ellen. It’s a good reminder for me too, when I get caught up in things that I
think are so important, but that actually keep me from fully appreciating this precious day and those whom I am with. I need such reminders too….life is too short to waste on things that won’t matter tomorrow.