Life Matters, Really!

Why be saddled with this thing called life expectancy? Of what relevance to an individual is such a statistic? Am I to concern myself with an allotment of days I never had and was never promised? Must I check off each day of my life as if I am subtracting from this imaginary hoard? No, on the contrary, I will add each day of my life to my treasure of days lived. And with each day, my treasure will grow, not diminish.~Robert Brault

We don't want life to be just normal. We want the 'zing', 'bling', the ultimate adventure, the best out of our God given, blessed, ordained existence, and to live it to the fullest. However lenght and span. Wisdom teaches us to make each day matter to those we love, to revere God, not to waste our talent, and to make a difference in the lives of others. We don't know the years we are allotted or how much time we have. We can only rely on the fact that if we make it to bed tonight, and wake up another morning, we have merely twenty four hours to count, at best.

Just recently, we had a 'close call', when my health conscious husband, (no one can be more rigid about his well being) to our surprise, suffered a mild heart attack and was rushed to the nearest medical center. Thanks to 911, and the doctors and staff who attended, diagnosed, and stabilized him. He is alive and recovering very well. We were told, he had a pulmonary embollism or blood clotting, which could have been fatal. And as upset as we were, and tempted to put blame on the doctors who had taken him off his blood thinning regimen (after a back procedure), we felt led to take the graceful route and be thankful instead. We rejoiced at God's goodness, and to the many wonderful friends and family who interceded in prayer for the safety of my husband. Within six days of confinement, he was released and sent back home to rejoin us. We celebrated his birthday like a rebirth of sort, with greater enthusiasm, for indeed we felt we had been given another gift of a new lease. It get's better from here, after undergoing further tests as required. My hubby was given the go signal to fly and be checked at another medical facility to see if there was damage done to his heart. Voila! Lo and behold, there was none, whatsoever! What a miracle indeed!

Yet, life is so fragile and we know, it can easily slip away. We are all terminal, and we will eventually bid adieu to this world and leave those who are precious to us. Do we want to be surprised one day, and find it too late, that we didn't love enough, give enough, and say, do, undo, when we could or should have? I have lost loved ones and the tragedy of tragedies is to find oneself in a state of 'unpreparedness', with unfinished business. Regret is a terrible thing, and sadly we have seen this happen to the best of families. The last thing we want is to cause more pain than we should, because we didn't do what we should have done when we could. Why do we give flowers and write beautiful eulogies when they are dead and gone? How then, can we make life count and be more meaningful for us, and the living among us?

I was curious, and so I posted the question in my Facebook, "What makes for a meaningful life?". I was hoping to get more responses, at least a small percent of my over 700 friends, but i only got a handful who dared make comments. Of course, there is no right or wrong answers, and i thank those who shared their thoughts. Here they are...

1. Family and Fishing..(This friend is hilarious, and she had actually added the no 3 answer)

2. Having Jesus.

3. Friends and bowling too..

4. Family and Faith.

5. Loving your man, teaching your children the right values, saving a soul and knowing that when you are gone, you would have left behind good memories for your loved ones.

6. Living life not solely for one's self but for God and others. 10:90 is a good ratio.

7.Living for God, family and community. Finding your God given purpose in life and living it one day at a time.

8.Life becomes meaningful when you have made the world a better place for those you love...lessons learned from Mom and Dad.

Here's what the writer of the book of Ecclesiates had to say,

"Seize life!

Eat bread with gusto.

Drink wine with a robust heart.

Oh yes! God takes pleasure in your pleasure!

Dress festively every morning.

Don't skimp on colors and scarves.

Relish life with the spouse you love,

each and everyday of your precarious life

Each day is God's gift

It's all you get in exchange,

for the hardwork of staying alive

Make the most of each one

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it heartily"

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson