Good morning…
I got news this weekend of a cancer diagnosis in the families of two friends – one, a brave 36 year old daughter, and the other, a nearly 90 year old mother who is so dearly loved. Pondering the precarious balance between life and death, I am drawn to a poem I met a while back. In this quiet moment, I revisit the words with my friends and their loved ones in mind.
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“About Living (Part III)” by Mattie J. T. Stepanek
I wanted to live
To be
One hundred and one
Years old.
But that is no
Longer my goal.
When I die,
I die.
I cannot predict.
I cannot control.
I cannot change
What is to be,
Which is what it is
And will be
What it will be.
I wanted to live
To be,
And not die.
But,
While I’m alive,
I live
To the fullest.
I treasure each sunrise.
I remember each sunset.
I dance every dance and
I sing every song and
I celebrate every moment.
I wanted to live
To be.
And,
I am spending my time
On earth before death
Living,
Rather than dying,
And not wasting a moment
Of the precious gifts
Of time and
Of life and
Of being, for now.
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On the behalf of all who face difficult challenges right now, I shift our focus to the powerful promise of the risen Christ. “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness” (John 10:10b, GNT).
…Sue…
