I've had a few folks die lately that are either in my family or close friends. With more coming soon, I am once again reminded that we don't know how much time we have on this earth. We could have anything from minutes to decades left to go. Part of the mystery, and I suppose part of the wonder, is in the not knowing. But as seems to be the case with people I have seen, when they know the end is coming, they do what they want to do. They seize the days that are left to them and find meaning in the time they have left. I find myself wishing that we could all do that, only without the wake-up call that the end is nigh.
I don’t know how to measure a life. Do we measure in minutes? Months? Decades? Maybe we should measure life in stolen moments, secret kisses, or belly laughs. I know that we all do measure life in some way, and it is likely different for us all. The thing is, we can’t wait until tomorrow to start measuring. As Marius sings in Les Mis, “Tomorrow never came.” Tomorrow will never come. When it shows up, it somehow becomes today. So I think we all need to stop waiting for tomorrow to get here. Do something that matters, both to you and to others. Figure out a way to leave your mark in a good way. Create a legacy that others can be proud to carry on. Seize the day that we have. It may be the last one we get.