I’ve just finished sitting with a gentleman who lost his partner of over 25 years. She’d been sick for the past five months or so, and last night she took her last breath. His pain was palatable and his regrets strong. Being the stoic and strong type, he was surprised at the depth of his pain and loss. It has really made me sit and think about my life, the shortness of it and living the days I have. It must be a ‘phase’ for me because a couple of days ago I put a question on the chalk board in my waiting area. It asks, “If today were to be your last day, how would you like to live it?”. Reflecting in this way can be morbid if done without limits, but doing so occasionally can help to refocus us.
For me, I’ve decided I want…
- to live my life being kind to others and kind to myself
- to forgive often and easily
- to be as gracious to others as I would like them to be to me. I think Jesus said something like that too in the golden rule, so I guess I’m in good company. If I need to err I’d like to do so on the side of tolerance and acceptance.
- to live a life free of worry and full of laughter.
- a life of peace so strong that being in my presence brings peace to those around me
- to express myself openly and honestly in a manner that others can hear.
- to be a blessing
That all sounds like a tall order, and it is. I won’t make it all the time, so I’ll need enough grace to bestow it upon myself. So now, I offer the question to you. If today were to be your last day, how would you like to live it? Think about it, mull it over, and decide. Then you might want to do what I did—call someone and let them know how much you love them.