Do you think your life has meaning? Do you believe that you set an example by the way you act and the words you use? Do you realize the impact you make on others and never know it? Sometimes, those meanings don’t always stare at us, we are forced to find them in many ways.
Last week, I had two separate experiences occur that reminded me of the role I have played in others lives. Two people that I had not seen or talked to in over two years reached out to me and one simply said, “You say what everyone else is afraid to say.” while the other required more time and attention. A young man who I worked with sought me out for my advice and although the answer he so desperately wanted to hear was not the one I gave him, I didn’t give up on them. Instead, I merely gave him a few things to do to get him started on the next steps in his journey and since others were not available to assist him, in some ways, I took on a “mom” role. Even when he threw a tantrum on social media, I messaged him and told him to knock it off.
Because we never know how much time we have here, we must make the most of every moment. That reality came to my doorstep this morning when I found out that a former co-worker past away last night from an apparent heart attack. But what has my head spinning is that I saw this guy yesterday at breakfast — just a few hours before the ambulance was called. My friend and I were one of the last people to see him before his life hung in the balance, never knowing that I would get that text this morning telling me that he had died.
But isn’t that what happens? We realize the importance of something, only after it is gone? When we look back at moments — where chances were missed and regrets begin to fill out hearts? Most of us never get a “heads up” like this one and really take that lesson to heart.
Why? Because we fall back into old patterns and become complacent. It hits close to home to get our attention, but not so close that we actually change what we do.
We are afraid of saying what our hearts ache to say. We shy away from doing what we really want to do.
When are we going to start living our lives in the moment instead of waiting until it matters? Guess what? Every minute matters. We need to stop looking back and only find the meaning afterwards. Regret fills us with anger and a loss for words when we know what we should have done when we have the chance.
And it makes me sad too. I will never see the face of a friend, sitting on the third-base side of the seats at our local baseball stadium ever again. I remember grabbing his hand as he walked by yesterday, never believing that it would be the last time.
What holds you back? Do you believe that your life has meaning? Do you know that now or only when it is in jeopardy of being lost?
“When people love life, they will always be opposed to whatever can destroy it.” – John Ortberg
When the smoke has cleared, and we are left to our thoughts, we all need to appreciate the life we have — every single breath we take and every beat of our hearts. It is the biggest reminder that we are still here and we get ONE shot at living our best lives and treasuring the lives we interact with also. Please don’t take them for granted…because we just never know how much it matters until it is gone forever.
You are here. I am here. Let’s not waste any more time waiting for the right time. NOW is the right time. It matters now. Do what matters, even if you never see it. Say what you feel, even if no one tells you what that meant to them. Believe in what you can’t see, because that is where hope comes from.
Because you never know…
Michelle A. Homme 2015 ©
