We never know how our lives are going to turn out.
We think we know this, and yet how often do we live without paying sufficient heed to the reality of this, thinking that we actually have control over what we plan to do?
Last week saw our wider family suddenly and very unexpectedly experiencing the death of a close family member.
What I was planning to do on Thursday evening took such an astonishingly dramatic turn that is was hard to get my head round it all.
Why am I telling you this?
Two reasons. There is likely to be blogging silence from me for the next couple of weeks – a first in over 8 years. I will be back, but there is a lot to process, absorb, plan and start to recover from.
But more than that, I want you to stop today and tell the people that you love how much they matter to you.
This is morbid but true – you might not get the chance tomorrow.
I have written about this before – during the height of the Corona virus pandemic, in relation to saying goodbye well to people, and when talking about common death bed regrets.
You may well have experienced loss and grief over these past difficult two years especially, so do have a wee read if that would help, especially about the Living Eulogy project.
But I am living this out and it is a salient reminder of what really matters and the importance of living in NOW and not taking NOW for granted.
One of my favourite films is the wonderful Richard Curtis film About Time – oft watched, a favourite of mine not least because Bill Nighy is in it and I do love him so (many tissues needed).
Without giving any spoilers, there is this simple and profound truth expressed by the main character:
I just try to live every day as if I have deliberately come back to this one day….to enjoy it as if it were the full final day, of my extraordinary ordinary life. We’re all travelling through time together….every day of our lives, all we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable life.”
Those sentiments mean more than ever now.
I leave that with you, and encourage you to go through today and all these next days this year seeking to relish each one, to cherish the people you share it with, and to celebrate the extraordinary, ordinary lives we each get to live.