Life is Short

Life is short

One of my favorite uncles died today. He was failing in health so it was not a surprise. I knew it was coming. And yet reading the email and Facebook post was sad. It brought me to tears.

It’s a reminder that Life is short. We need to live our lives aware of what we are doing. Let’s not just go through the motion. I will admit, I am guilty. Many days, I just drift with the tide and let the day escape me with little or nothing accomplished. Yes, I have a long list of things to do. They will probably never all get done:
Scan all my photos
Sort my 2 file cabinets– 4 drawers each
Sort my collection of fabric
Shred my old credit card statements ( how long do we really need to keep them? Does anyone know? Yes, I really would like this information.)
Digitize all my notes
Na — not all happening.

So what is really important? In the movie THE WAY, the adult son says to the dad,
“You don’t choose a life. You live it.” It left me asking, am I living my life? Or just going thru the motions? I can choose to be intentional about how I live my life. What matters most to you? For each of us it may be different. Acquire possessions? Have thrilling dare-devil experiences? Travel more, See the world? Spend more time with loved ones– friends, family, grandchildren ? For me, life is about connections and relationships.
I love the stories of the Bible. It’s all about God seeking a relationship with each of us. He loves us. “Three things will last forever — faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love”. 1 Corinthians 13:13

This is my aim of how I live my life: to love God and to love others. To shine God’s light in life to point others to Him. My uncle lived his life this way. All glory to God.

How do you choose to live your life? What matters most to you?

Cherished Birthdays and Friends

In a 3 day span, 4 of my girlfriends have their birthdays as well as my father.
How does it happen that important people in my life celebrate their birthdays in such close proximity to each other? Is there any truth to the horoscopes, personalities, and the alignment of the stars? Do you run across any friends or family members whose birthdays fall in clusters? Or am I the only one who has ever noticed this?

What is this coincidence? And, more importantly, does it matter?

To me, birthdays are important to notice. Each birthday should be a celebration of that person, a recognition of the gift they are to us from God. Each of these women have been a close friend to me at different times in my life. One is a friend from high school days. One was a college roommate. One was close to me when my daughter was in elementary school. (She helped me get Beth to swimming lessons on days I had to work, among other things. ) The other one is my best friend now in my daily life. How I cherish each of them, sisters in my heart, blessings from God.

My dad is now 94 years old. Wow! I am so thankful for the Godly man he has been in my life. He has had a good, long, healthy life; however the end is nearing. His oldest brother and one of his younger brothers have passed on ahead of him. Someday soon it will be his turn. Am I showing my love to him as much as I can while there is still time?

How do you choose to live your life? What will be your memories of this day, today?
The choice is ours. Cherish the day or waste it away. Make treasured memories or let it be a blur. The future is ours to hold. Make each day count.

Have you noticed birthday clusters in your friends and family?
How do you feel about birthdays?