Life is a Crazy Thing

A very brief word today about time. Just when you think you have more than enough of it, you don't. I think there are many times, particularly near to the passing of loved ones, when I stop myself and reflect on whether I'll be given another day to be in this world. Yes, I'm healthy, a rather safe driver, I have good medical insurance, all of that - but I try so hard to remember to stop a few times in the crazy hectic days and MEAN what I say, tell the people who impact my life how much they do without realizing it, and truly be appreciative of every opportunity that comes my way. Today, I am thinking of good friends who last week lost a very important family member to cancer, and I think of the first time I met that man who seemed to embrace each day with thanks for another "brand new beginning," while still working to live his past, present, and future through the people around him. Pretty amazing stuff. It makes me think about an Eastern teaching I once studied, and the man telling the story says - "Each day that I wake up, I turn to the little bird on my shoulder and ask, Is today the day? Is today the day I will leave this world? And each day so far, that little bird says "No, today is not the day." Even so, the little bird's last statement is always the same - "...but tomorrow might be the day, so use today wisely.""