How Long a Lifetime?

As my 25th class reunion approaches, I was shocked to hear the news today that another classmate has passed away. That makes three classmates, all women, who have died in the past year at the young age of 42. One died of breast cancer, another in a car wreck and the most recent one died from complications due to pneumonia. All three were mothers. One was my brother-in-law's sister, an aunt to my young nieces and nephews.

It reminds me that a "Lifetime" isn't the same for everyone. Someone may have a lifetime of 90 years whereas another person may only get to enjoy their lifetime for 15 years. The truth is we really don't know how long our own lifetime is and that fact makes it very important that we live each day as if it were our last because it just may well be.

We need to remember to show love and kindness and to choose our words carefully...to make all we do count for something. We should never wait to wear that special pair of shoes or take that long-needed vacation. We shouldn't wait for a holiday or birthday to tell someone what they mean to us. We should not hold onto our grudges and guilt or withhold love and forgiveness. And we should never push aside our dreams of a lifetime...because we don't know just how long that lifetime will actually turn out to be.