Understandably as we grow older, mortality seems to be an
ever-present tingle in our minds… and yes, sometimes the thought is VERY scary.
We lose folks around us that mean a lot, and we discover new aches, pains, and
things that just don’t work as well anymore. But instead of fearing the
INEVITABLE (NO ONE ESCAPES!) and burying ourselves in what once was, I
choose to look forward.
I choose to be thankful for the things and people I have had
in my life, and the time I had with them. I choose to be thankful for what I
have now. I choose to be thankful for now, who and what I am, my memories, and
my ability to hope for a tomorrow. Yes, I still shed tears for people I miss, my
parents, my sister, a couple of cousins, a few friends… and yes, even some
beautiful pussycats. But I try not to let my tears consume me, and I know that
those I love and loved wouldn’t want me to waste a single day or moment that I
have left.
And yet I can’t help, every time my phone rings at an
unlikely hour, and every time I don’t get a response from someone I’ve reached
out to, just a little bit of a shudder and a slap of what could be reality… and
thankfully MOST of these alarms are simply false as I breathe a sigh of relief.
I just don’t ever want to waste a day, I don’t want to waste any time telling
someone how much I love them, I don’t want to waste any time cuddling a
pussycat. Yes, I want to spend time reliving some of our memories with my loved
ones, and I also want to make lots of new ones.
And when the day comes when I am gone, and those I leave
behind shed a few tears, I hope they will live and love the happiest lives they
can… mostly for them (and selfishly, just a little tinge for me). I truly believe
the best honor we can each do for our dear loved ones is to live each new day
as fully as possible and to remember our shared memories long after we can no
longer share.
Here is
to EVERY tomorrow!
