Facing your own mortality…
Well…It is with a very heavy heart I write tonight…But write I shall…For writting is my outlet…And my outlet leads to healing…
Tonight I learned that a local news anchor here in Ohio has passed away…Losing her ten year battle with breast cancer…She greeted me every morning with a perky smile…I have watched her for FOUR years. DAILY. She greeted me with a genuine sense of joy. Happiness. And she NEVER hid her illness, or played the victim. In fact, she made others feel comfortable…For more on her story, you can visit here: http://www.10tv.com/live/content/station/stories/2008/11/07/heather_pick.html?sid=102
Friends. She was 38 years old…THIRTY EIGHT…She leaves behind a husband, two children, and sooooooooooo many friends and family members who loved her…
And so as I watched the news coverage…I cried…
I cried for her. I cried for her husband who must now find a way to raise two very young kids without a copilot. I cried for those children whose entire life changed today in a heart beat. They will forever be defined by losing their mother at such a young age.
And through these tears, I saw a quote flash on the screen. From Heather herself…”DONT WAIT”
You see, we all SAY we want to live each day to its fullest, but rarely do we. We all say we are grateful for all we have, but then we bitch and complain that we want this or we want that. We all SAY that we want to make a difference, but then we get caught up in life, and forget that…
We get stuck.
So what DO you do when mortality slaps you in your face??
Well, most of us would do one of two things…We would curl up in a ball, feel sorry for ourselves, and sit back and let the sickness come…OR, we would go out IMMEDIATELY and start living each day as if it were the gift it truly is.
Why is it that we go through life thinking we are invincible? That we are going to live forever?
Why do we say “I will do it tomorrow?” when in fact, there is NO GAURENTEE of a tomorrow??
Friends, every day, we are living on borrowed time…And at any given moment, we can be called up…And thats it. Its done.
So my thoughts tonight are this: WHY ARE WE WAITING??
For love? For life? For health and wellness? Why wait? Why not DO?
I have tried, since the death of my father in 03 to embrace this philosophy…For that too was a lesson in mortality and the shortness of life…I do well…I do things now I never would have. Take more risks…Live a little less “Safely”…Because I know life is ever so short…And I never want to look back in regret…
I dont want to ever wonder “What if” or “If only”
But I need to do more…Fight harder…
I got a bit sidetracked this year…And I am fighting with everything I have in me to get back to my journey…It is much easier to give up, and walk away…Much harder to stand and fight…
But fighting I am…Finding my way back to my original journey. My journey to better health…Both physical and mental…To get back to volunteering…To get back to a happy and full life…
To embrace the life I have been given. To be thankful for every breath I take. Every person I have loved. Every friend I have made. Every life I have touched.
Death is certain friends. For all of us…
So I leave you with this: What are YOU waiting for?? If there is something you want to be doing, you best get about doing it now. DONT WAIT!!!! Because in a heartbeat, it could be gone…All of it…And what legacy will you have left behind?? One of half fullfilled dreams and promises?? Or will you leave behind a legacy of love, success, and a life well lived?
You cant control the end date of your life…But you can control the content…
Hey Dawnie, So sorry to hear about the death of a young woman from breast cancer. My heart truly goes out to her and her family.
I love reading your blog. They make me take a big sigh and reflect on life.
I agree with you on many levels. I lost my stepfather who was like my real father 11 years ago and it’s never been the same. But because I was so young, I never thought twice about my mortality.
Now that I’m in my 30’s think about this subject more often. As such, I refuse to live my 30’s the way I did my 20’s, overweight, miserable and not LIVING life.
Thank you for this wonderful blog. It confirms everything I do every day and that is to do what makes me happy.
Have a great night!
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!! WHAT ARE WE WATING FOR??? WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR OURSELVES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.. IF WE’RE A CHRISTIAN WE NEED TO TRY AND REACH THE LOST,WE’RE HERE TODAY AND MAY BE GONE TOMORROW, SO WE NEED TO GET BUSY..I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO TRY HARD.. GOD BLESS YOU ALL…
This is so very sad.
This reminds me of last week (might have been a longer) when my daughters best friend…her dad had a accident victim die in his trunk…this man left a young son who watched him die…one moment all is fine..and another…life will never be the same.
Many blessings my friend. Love Debbie
I love your blog and I am grateful you posted it for us all to share! I am sorry she lost her life! We do need to live our lives to the fullest everyday and I think we forget that it’s all temporary and we could be gone at anytime. My daughter always tells me she loves me so no matter what I will always know. I think it’s important to have no enemies, make amends when you’ve hurt someone, and live your best life you can. Smile and try and brighten someone else’s day. It feels really good to get out of myself and help others, and I hope someday to be remembered as a good helpful person.
Thank you for your beautiful blog!
We are never promised tomorrow. My mom died at 44 to colon cancer, not a day do I not think of her or think if I will live a short life myself. Although, we can’t live by fear we can use it to motivate ourselves to charish each day we do have on earth. It is so heartbreaking to see someone you love pass on. You are right each day is a gift, and we need to live each day touching others lives, doing things we enjoy, and loving each other as best we can.
What an inspiring blog. I am sorry to hear the sad news, and very much agree with your thoughts regarding LIFE. I try to stay mindful of the fact that this is the only go around I am going to get and I want to do it right…thanks for reminding me of this truth. Take care.
Such as sad loss! It is so true, we all need to live each day as if it were our last one!
Big HUGS!
Amen sister bear! I agree with your blog wholeheartedly and thank you for reminding us of the beauty and frailty of our lives, of the opportunities we overlook because we are always in search of more, of better—thank you for reminding us to cherish the here and now and to be grateful for something as simple and yet as miraculous as a single breath, as a single heart beat!!
This is a most excellent post, and describes how I’ve been living this past year. No more letting fear hold me back from anything. I have been so focused on actually living life and enjoying every breath God has given me. I did start thinking in this way back when my dad died, too. But it’s taken until this last year of soul searching during my weight loss journey for me to actually come to terms with what it all means. Live life! No longer do I allow life to just pass on by me. Each and every day is a precious gift to be honored and treasured.
So terribly sad about your local news anchor.
Being that I too am 38, it just kind of hits home. There are no guarantees for anyone of us.
I am so sorry, another reminder of how short life is and we can’t afford to waste it.
So sorry to hear about the woman losing her fight with breast cancer. That is so sad. After witnessing a fatal car crash last night it served as a wake up call for me as well. You just never know when your #’s up. Thank you for this post