"Many people die without having truly lived."
"I'd rather die living than live dying."
"Many who have died never truly lived."
"Fear of death will not prevent dying but it may prevent living."
I don't know who wrote those but they have a certain appeal to me. Especially that last one.
I'm married to a woman who truly understands the message. To make a long story short, she nearly died at age 15. When the doctors fixed her up, they gave her another year to live. That was 20 years ago. Believe me, when you have a year to live, every day is precious and worth living. I may have written more detail elsewhere on the board.
My wife has been a huge object lesson to me and many others about what it truly means to enjoy life. She celebrates every birthday and always will. Life is meant to be treasured and enjoyed, every step of the way. Every day is precious.
This morning, I heard the radio version of, "It's a Wonderful Life." I think the message there is that we should, occasionally, take the time to reflect on the worth of our own lives. What things should be treasured? There are big things and little things. All of which deserve our focused enjoyment.
Last year, we planted a few poinsettias in our flower boxes. Now, the leaves are starting to redden and they are looking truly excellent. If you ever get a chance, plant some in a shady corner of your yard and wait a year. You'll be blown away.
Holidays, we see our families and friends and truly enjoy them. We hope. If not, we all have our Busa's!!
I hope I can arrive at my physical end without regrets. No wouldas, couldas or shouldas. I think back at the big things and the little things. They all matter. They all weigh into the scale.
One of my brothers called me a couple of years ago and said, "You remember that time when . . . ?" The conversation continued wherein he expressed gratitude to me for something I'd done for him 20 years previously. Something I'd completely forgotten. But he treasures the memory and that's what matters.
One of the most important things in life is how you make other people feel about themselves. Granted, there is room for arguing that how people feel is their responsibility not yours. However, real life tells us that people DO derive some of their personal esteem from others. If you give it good, you've accomplished a wonderful thing. I still need to watch that movie, "Pay it Forward," but I understand it's a good object lesson in that very topic.
I've rambled enough. Life is a philosophy but it should be kept simple and positive.
--Wag--
