LIFE is for the living...

I'm thankful for LIFE, for continuous reminders of being alive!

In the wake of so much tragedy in the news this week, and the freak catastrophic floods currently plaguing Australia, more reminders offer us deep reflection that there is one factor ringing so true; we never know the day, nor the hour of our death.

I am reminded; Do I live each day as if it would be my last?

And, if as the good old saying goes "Life is too short to waste on trivial things", then might it not be a worthy choice to resolve to make extra efforts toward developing a new daily habit, that of gratefully and purposely learning to celebrate each new day, giving sincere thanks when waking in the morning, and never taking for granted our loved ones.

Choosing of course to do this would obviously have to also include so many more action principals, making efforts to practice other virtues we may be weak in along the way; trusting, making sacrifices, peacemaking, forgiveness, affection, honoring, respecting, integrity, and a million more, all worthy of celebratory efforts for realizing the blessings of the here and NOW.

How often have we heard that tomorrow might be too late.... why not now?

Life giving turnarounds occur in the least expected ways, don't they? One has only to shudder when thinking; if tragedy were to knock on our door and we were to suddenly lose a loved one, we don't gain a thing by living the rest of our days with deep regrets when there might be lingering unresolved issues in our present day.

Life is for the living!

How can we envision our future then if all we do is nitpick the trivial stuff in life?

For instance, when BIGFOOT came to our home last week, I remember at first thinking how badly this floor showed everything!


Very obviously, I needed to wash my floors with all the trails BIGFOOT left in his trail walking wake. But in a single instant I remembered how I really feel about such things. All kidding aside, the fragility of life is worth reflecting upon, for how easily it can be snuffed out in an instant.

I recall watching the breaking news on the Oklahoma bombing many years ago now, and the subsequent story of one young woman who refused to allow anyone to wipe her bathroom glass mirror clean because there were remaining hand prints of her little boys, still there, after she had just buried both from dying in this horrific event.

That one heart stopping testimony of LIFE in and of itself, has never left my mind, small intimate reminders of loved ones. For me, last week, it was all about these BIGFOOT prints all over my flooring, up the wooden staircase, pathways everywhere from either moist feet or wet socks.

Next time you're tempted to allow annoyance to ruin your temperament, try to turn it around and remember those fingerprints all over your windows and mirrors, and those footprints from sloshy winter boots have been created as ultimate silent living evidence of your loved ones!

Instead of getting ruffled under the collar - try this; snap a photo and freeze that moment, taking a few seconds to admire those tiny finger tips, to never take for granted those ten little toe prints or that small boot print, and ohhhh those sloppy wet "lipstick kisses" our little ones like to smack all over the furniture after getting into mommy's lipstick!

No doubt your cogs will be rolling now, remembering how many times you were annoyed at these little pesky things in your family's home and life in general.

Now turn it around, grab a camera and snap up those photos BEFORE you clean up!

You'll never regret it.

Most of all, let us all learn to be ever-grateful for all evidence of LIFE which surrounds our days, for perhaps some very difficult day they will no longer be there, be it by way of children growing and moving on in their lives, or loved ones we keep in our hearts after their passing leaves us wishing we'd left that one hand-print on the mirror, instead of wiping it off.


P.S. Our little grandbaby decided now wasn't the time to be born after all. So we continue to be patient and wait for this precious new life to enter our family fold any day now.