It's a great time to be alive. If you have your health.

There are Places to see. Book to read. Puzzles to solve. Degrees to be earned. Disciplines to master. Instruments to study. Night skies to contemplate.

Yep, definitely a great time to be alive.

Which begs the question: If you knew you were only going to live for a few more weeks or months, what would you do? Who would you visit with? Which broken relationships would you fix? Which books would your read? More importantly, which book would you write? Which places would you visit? Which clutter would you clear out? Which company would you buy or sell? Which company would you start or stop? What words would you compose for your headstone?

Sometime this year, I'm going to lose a couple more friends of long standing to cancer. How do I know that? Because, YTD I've already lost several and the kharma's not good here in 2009. That's how I know.

My health, meanwhile, seems perfect. The machine continues to tick along even though I enjoy the odd glass of wine and the regular cup of coffee. I had a hamburger for lunch and a big flank steak last Sunday off the BBQ. (Thanks, once again, for that great recipe, Ry!)

Nonetheless, though my health is good, my heart continues to break over the premature death of friends who are leaving this reality before they are really, truly done. People I know are sobbing today because of having lost someone in recent weeks. They are not celebrating their good health. They are awash in inconsolable grief. That will pass, but not soon. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with two thoughts.

It's a great time to be alive.

If you knew you were only going to live for a few more weeks or months, what would you do?

August 17, 2009

************************************

Print Version