How many times in our lives do we think of "today" as the first day of the rest of our lives? I know I thought that when I graduated from high school, and again at college graduation. I certainly thought that my wedding day was the first day of the rest of my life and the day my daughter was born (exactly 4 years ago) was without a doubt the first day of the rest of my life. At each of these occasions I was sure that this was it, the real beginning, the time I had been waiting for to get my life going.
On April 6, 2010 I actually experienced the first day of what will hopefully be the very long and healthy rest of my life. Doctors in more than one hospital were fairly certain that I had less than three months to live. Fortunately, a team of doctors in Maryland said lets transplant her anyway. I was young and they wanted to give me a chance. It turns out it was just what I needed, a chance with a new immune system.
Today, every day is the first day. Everyday is a day to wake up and make choices about my life. Everyday is the beginning of something amazing.
Is today the first day of your life or are you waiting for the that day to come along? It is already here, my friend, embrace it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Riding with Grace
I am a huge Tim McGraw fan! I have been for many years and will continue to be for many more years. Its not just the cowboy hat, although that has its obvious draw, and its not just the fact that one of his daughters has the same name as mine, and its not just the fact that I love his music. Its all of these things in some combination that I think is changing every so often. I like Tim McGraw so much that the song my husband (I've made him a fan too) and I danced to at our wedding was "Set this Circus Down". The song that I grabbed on to with my cancer diagnosis was "My Next Thirty Years". There are countless other examples of Tim McGraw songs that I can set to instances in my life but that is not what this blog is about.
This blog post is about living and, as you might have guessed, is a bit inspired by another Tim McGraw song "Live Like You Were Dying". I love this song. I love it now and I loved before I knew what it meant to be dying. Its a good song. But I'd like to change the lyrics. "Live Like You Were Dying" is about all the things one would do if he/she found out that they only had short time left to live. This list includes skydiving, bull riding, fishing, and being a better friend. One line in the song says "And he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying". This is what I would like to change. All of the things listed are things that we should do, or at least the concept is of things that we all should try out. You may not have any interest in skydiving (I don't) but I am trying to learn French and quite possibly training to run a half marathon (more on that in another post). I look at all of these things as living like you're living.
Too many of us walk around each day going through the motions and forgetting (or not even realizing) that we can enjoy more. Yes, we must work and we must take care of our responsibilities but this does not mean that we can't also learn to play the ukelele or bike across the country. This is living.
I have faced dying and for me it was important to live like I was living and let the rest sort itself out. Today I strive to remember each day that I am alive and I am living.
Now reader, take a moment to get comfortable and start imagining a warm spring day near the beach. Imagine the wonderful smell of the ocean breeze and the occasional smell of coppertone. Add in the feel of a bicycle in the wind, the sound of tires on pavement, and pedals spinning. Imagine a little one sitting in a kid's seat on the back of the bike shouting "faster Mommy, faster". Imagine the smile that you would wear as you pedaled the bicycle and remembered to live each day as if you are living, because you are.
I like to think that I face most days with grace and strength, and I know that I face everyday with Grace. She is almost 4 and the perfect reminder to go faster when necessary and slow down when needed. Each day, on and off the bicycle I ride with Grace.
This blog post is about living and, as you might have guessed, is a bit inspired by another Tim McGraw song "Live Like You Were Dying". I love this song. I love it now and I loved before I knew what it meant to be dying. Its a good song. But I'd like to change the lyrics. "Live Like You Were Dying" is about all the things one would do if he/she found out that they only had short time left to live. This list includes skydiving, bull riding, fishing, and being a better friend. One line in the song says "And he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying". This is what I would like to change. All of the things listed are things that we should do, or at least the concept is of things that we all should try out. You may not have any interest in skydiving (I don't) but I am trying to learn French and quite possibly training to run a half marathon (more on that in another post). I look at all of these things as living like you're living.
Too many of us walk around each day going through the motions and forgetting (or not even realizing) that we can enjoy more. Yes, we must work and we must take care of our responsibilities but this does not mean that we can't also learn to play the ukelele or bike across the country. This is living.
I have faced dying and for me it was important to live like I was living and let the rest sort itself out. Today I strive to remember each day that I am alive and I am living.
Now reader, take a moment to get comfortable and start imagining a warm spring day near the beach. Imagine the wonderful smell of the ocean breeze and the occasional smell of coppertone. Add in the feel of a bicycle in the wind, the sound of tires on pavement, and pedals spinning. Imagine a little one sitting in a kid's seat on the back of the bike shouting "faster Mommy, faster". Imagine the smile that you would wear as you pedaled the bicycle and remembered to live each day as if you are living, because you are.
I like to think that I face most days with grace and strength, and I know that I face everyday with Grace. She is almost 4 and the perfect reminder to go faster when necessary and slow down when needed. Each day, on and off the bicycle I ride with Grace.
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