Tomorrow I had a few things scheduled: a vet appointment for the new dog; possibly a stop at a retailer to return something; and a visit from the folks. And then Monday afternoon happened. A good friend called me to tell me the news. Her husband of over a decade and the father of her children had passed away suddenly that morning. He was the kind of man who could walk up to any stranger and within minutes have made a new friend. In that way, he reminded me a lot of my own husband. This was a sweet, kind and vibrant guy, a loving husband and devoted dad. And this was a man younger than me.
I was stunned. I still am. As was my husband and others I notified. How? What? Why? We scroll through all of the questions and all of the struggle to comprehend when a life is taken so unexpectedly, or as we perceive it to be, much too soon. And when there are other lives left behind, young hearts who look to that person as a model and mentor in their world, it’s even more devastating to imagine this new void in that space. And when someone is lost and younger than yourself, it makes it that much more alarming and personally disconcerting to know that any moment, everything you know and love can be taken away in a blink. You cannot help but contemplate the value of your presence, your purpose…your own mortality.
Tomorrow we will still go to our vet appointment and we may still stop at the store to make that return but we have a different item on the schedule now. A memorial service. If you had told me that a week ago and for this particular person, I would have stared at you as stone-faced and dumbfounded as I still feel five days after receiving the news. Tomorrow we will be there for my friend and do our best in whatever way we can to help her stay strong even if it is just to be there for her with her other friends and family as a loving net below to catch her when strength wavers.
I had another Thought to Chew On blog topic planned for today, based on my speaking engagement earlier this week, and I will blog on that subject sometime soon, but you know what? That can wait. Because there is such a greater, more important lesson before me this week. Before any of us if we’re willing to open our eyes and take a long, hard look at it.
This week’s thought to chew on is as simple as any blogs I’ve written so far and yet it may be the most complex of all.
Be. Here. Now.
Like the OASIS album title. Sure. Whatever helps you remember it.
Be. Here. Now.
Don’t wait until later or tomorrow or next week because you have this other thing to take care of or over here, you have THAT which is due soon. No, no, no, no, no!
Be. Here. Now.
The cost is too great to do anything else and miss out on what’s right before you while you’re here to enjoy it. ~ Chris
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