This week I attended funeral for a family friend who passed away after a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 69, had a full family life, owned and ran her own business, was an involved citizen and a devoted member of her church. She dealt with impending death with courage and grace, they way we all hope to when the end comes. While she was not young, she was active and in shape, constantly biking around town and going swimming. She could have reasonably expected another 20 or 30 years. But due to something outside her control, that did not happen.
We have free will, and attendant responsibility for our lives, but there are lots of things that we can’t control. Every day we should remind ourselves that there are no – I mean ZERO – guarantees. This might be our last day, our last Christmas, the last time we talk to a friend, the last time we hug our child. Reminding ourselves of these facts is not morbid, but it lets us get the most out of the time we have. And that time is always decreasing. Is there something that you want to do in this life? Then you better do it. Or it may never happen.
There is an old Aesop fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The grasshopper sings all summer while the ant works tirelessly to gather food. Winter comes and the grasshopper has nothing to eat and dies while the ant has plenty to eat. The moral is work hard and plan for the future. Good lesson. But what if the ant gets caught by a spider in September? Then who made the better choice?
I think we all need to be a blend of the ant and the grasshopper. But as I get older I lean more grasshopper. My wish for us all is that we have the courage to take the chance and do the things we want to do. Be in the moment with our loved ones, because there will be a time when we will give anything for that moment. Put down the fucking phone. Feel the wind on our face. Go on that adventure. Take up that challenge.
Or don’t. Either way, it’s our choice.
Vamonos Baby! 