Live Like You Were To Die Tomorrow
69
We Have No Way Of Knowing When Our Time Is Up
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth...and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Quotation
Unexpected death can strike at any time, yet most of us go through life as though we think we'll live forever. Out of ignorance, frustration and anger, we may say harsh words to our loved ones, cutting words that may come back to haunt us for the rest of our lives.
In my college days, I knew a young man named Harry, who had a bitter fight with his father. I can no longer remember what the fight was about but I still remember what Harry told his Dad at the end of it--"I hate you, and wish you were dead." Tragically, his Dad died of a heart attack several hours later and Harry's grief was inconsolable. He learned a hard lesson that night-- sometimes life doesn't give us a chance to make amends to those we've hurt, and we're left carrying a heavy load of regret, shame and remorse until we find some way to forgive ourselves.
The Power and Joy of Unconditional Love
Recently, my dear friend, Joyce, died unexpectedly but due to her loving, gentle nature and God's grace, the content of our final conversation turned out to be a source of great comfort to me. We'd spent the last hour of our prescious time together talking about life, death, fear and acceptance versus love and faith. You see, we'd both lost other friends a year earlier and had watched them suffer through repeated chemo, radiation and surgery treatments before losing their battle with cancer. As Joyce and I were about to hang up she confided that, "I have no fear of dying, only fear of suffering and pain. I'm ready to go home to God whenever he calls me, but I've prayed that when my time is up, he'll take me quickly."
I told her that I understood what she meant but that I wasn't ready to let her go and hoped God wouldn't take her for a long time. We ended the conversation as we always did, by saying, "I love you," but perhaps due to the nature of our talk that day, those 3 little words seemed sweeter and more meaningful than ever.
Pass The Love Forward
Joyce's daughter, Mary, spoke at her funeral and reminded everyone what we already knew--that her mother had practiced unconditional love wherever she went. Mary asked that we pass the love forward as a tribute to her Mom and there wasn't a dry eye in the parlor.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Live as though you were to die tomorrow." and, "Be the change you want to see in the world. " They were wise words, and my dear friend, Joyce, embodied them by mastering the art of spreading unconditional love. If each person that was touched by her love now passes it forward (including you, dear reader) the world will indeed be changed into a brighter place.
What Would You Do If You Had Just 24 Hours
How would you spend the next 24 hours if you knew they were your last time on earth?
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I'm sorry for your loss, Peggy. Your love for your mother shines through in your writings and I sensed how much you still miss her when I read about the tea rose memorial you created in her honor (Pictures Of Flowers In Our Oct. Houston Garden.) May you find solace walking the path of love that she set you on.
Writing this piece was my attempt to create something meaningful from my friend's death, and getting such heartfelt feedback from a reader means a lot to me.
I think this one is the best yet, perhaps because my dad just died in 2008 and his cancer took him in 14 days(small oat cell type lung cancer)and I miss him so much/this was straight from your heart!!and it showed through/we nurses repeat many words of E kubler-ross but your first quote has always been one of my favourites
So sorry to hear about your Dad. You're right about this piece coming straight from my heart. I read a hub by Shazwellyn about quotes the other day and the Kubler-Ross one inspired me to write about my friend's death. I think you were in nursing school in the 70's, as was I, and Kubler-Ross was referred to quite often in our studies. Thanks so much for following my work and taking time to write comments. I really appreciate the support. I've been writing for years, but never had a place like Hub Pages to instantly share and get feedback. It's really amazing how much inspiration we get from each other. Thanks for welcoming me.
This is a lovely and thought provoking piece of writing. Like you and some others who commented, I lost a very dear friend. At the end we consoled each other, and I'm so grateful that there was the time to exchange those last words of friendship. Your piece reminded me that life is too short to fritter away. Thanks!
Sorry to hear about your loss. Exchanging the final words of friendship is comforting and I'm glad you had that special time with your friend. Thanks so much for the positive feedback. I really appreciate it.
You reminded me that truth of life.I think everyone should read this hub.If we all followed what all the great minds taught us, then there would be no violence in this world.It was a great read.thank you so much :)
Thank you Andromida, for taking time to read it and share your thoughts with me. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I really appreciate the feedback. I'm still new to hub pages and every piece of encouragement is very helpful.
Great hub. The reality of is something most of us don't like to think about but it we are all going to die one day. We should strive to live our lives as if today was our final day.
Hi Fiddleman,
Thanks for the encouraging feedback and for signing up as a follower! I really appreciate it. I logged onto your profile and it looks like you've been gathering followers like a rock rolling downhill since joining hub pages a few short weeks ago! Kudos! I haven't had a chance to read any of your hubs yet, but will start reading them soon.
I lost my grandfather almost 20 years ago, but I still think of him often and am so thankful for the impact he had on my life--the one person who really believed in me and was such an encouragement to me. He taught me the lesson of living till you die...to always keep learning and actively involved in life! That's what he did, even in the last days when he was in hospital and I will always be inspired by him.
Hi FloBe,
What a beautiful tribute to your grandfather and an important lesson to learn from him. I can count on one hand the number of people who inspired and guided me that much and yet they were the ones who shaped me.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I read your bio and though I haven't had a chance to read your work yet, I look forward to doing so shortly. I'm glad your husband has encouraged you to share your writing. My own husband has been my greatest supporter, inspiration and soul mate which is why, in general, I'm so happy. Death is tough cause we're never ready to let our loved ones go even though we have to.
A very nice hub. Welcome to hubpages!
Thanks for the welcome Mark. I enjoyed reading your hub, "Live Laugh Love Your Life" yesterday and look forward to reading more of your hubs.
Beautiful reminder, HBN. It is so true. I learned long ago the power of making amends quickly and telling someone you care about how you feel. There's no time like the present. Having lost my brother in my 20's from a car accident, I was at peace knowing we had just talked a week before and I ended with, "I love you".
It's never easy letting go to someone who is dying. But, as a nurse you are well aware of the importance of that peaceful transition. I did hospice care for my mother and my husband. It is a gift to the one who supports in the transition of death.
Touching hub.
Thanks so much for your insightful and heartfelt comments, Denise. Starting as a teenager, and lasting throughout my adulthood and nursing career, I too, have lost many I loved or cared for as a nurse and am a big believer in hospice.
We do receive tremendous gifts and life lessons from those who are dying, but as you say it is never easy letting them go.
I was sorry to learn of the loss of your young brother, your mother and husband, but can tell that like me, you try to live your life with compassion and meaning, always conscious that time spent with loved ones is very prescious.
Thanks for reading my work and sharing your own experiences. I'm following you and look forward to reading more of your hubs.
A dying woman that I took for her radiotherapy once said to me ... in life throw as many seeds as you can - most will die but some will germinate - throw enough love around and some of it will stick, creating change in others. It is they who do the same and, again, more love is spread. Isn't it wonderful the type of world we can create, just from an emotion?!
Keep up the good work and let the light shine through x
Thanks Shazwellyn,
Those were wise words spoken by a dying woman. I think the idea of throwing love around is really beautiful. Who knows when the seed of love may take root in someone's heart and crack it wide open? Thanks for following my work and all the encouragement.
I absolutely love this hub. It brings back memories of my father. He suddenly went downhill when it seemed as if he was doing so well. The last moments of his life, I remember playing a fun card game with him. My last words to him were I love you Dad. Great Great hub.
Sorry to hear about your Dad's passing, but as you already know it's a blessing to have some time for a final, sweet goodbye. We are never ready to lose those we love but there is at least some solace and closure when we can tell them how much we love them.
I read your diabetes hub earlier, and I was touched by how much your whole family supported your Dad.
Thanks for the positive feedback on this hub.
I really enjoyed your hub, it was so heart felt. It reminded me of the loss of both my parents a few years back, and especially the loss of my daughter who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 21. Thank you for sharing this with us. God Bless you.
Oh vietnamvet68 what can I say? To lose a child is unimaginable to me, especially on top of your parents and buddies from Vietnam. My Vietnam Vet hubby always says, "Life is for the living" and that's true. We honor our deceased loved ones when we move forward with purpose and meaning, which I could tell from your profile, you are doing in spades. I'm following you now as your hub, "War Protest Songs of the 60's" really touched my heart. God Bless you, too.
I would do all that and more, then, I would come to you and kiss you "Thank you!"
Rajab,
You do have the soul of a poet. Thanks for stopping by.
That is the wisest advice that we need to be reminded of a lot of times..to live in each moment with joy and love! Thank you for sharing this heartwarming hub Gail. It brought a warmth to my heart with the knowing that our lives our full because we have friends/family or loved ones to share life with. And then to pay it forward..simply beautiful! Much love and light.
--Michelle
Thanks, Michelle,
I'm glad you were touched by it.
I've just discovered your hubs and from the few I've seen so far I can tell you too, try to live each moment with joy and love. Of course it is an impossible goal to attain as we are all imperfect and frequently challenged by life's daily difficulties and problems, but I find it a standard worthy of aspiring to.
I look forward to reading more of your work and I'm sure it will help me learn even more about joy and love.
It will be wonderful to journey with you Gail :) Have a blessed day.
:) I totally agree with this.. .
Thanks for this Happyboomernurse
Thank you Caudin_Dayo,
I appreciate you taking time to read and comment on it.
How beautiful, The story of your dear friend Joyce touched me so. I know how you must miss her. It truly is us who are left behind.
I lost my baby sister to a car accident and while we were on good terms the unexpected lack of her spirit and warm smile, hand touching mine and all the other living expressions of sisters and friends left me stone cold shocked.
I still to this day miss her deeply and wonder about where she is and what she's doing.
Life is a gift best spent in love and expressing love and adoration for all we incounter.
I'm so grateful to have found you today on the forum. What a wonderful journey we share. Here's to many a fond memory. Love and Peace :) Katie
P.S. I almost failed to thank you for sharing my hub live like your dying! I'll def include this one on mine as well, it's just to good a story to miss!
Dear Katiem2,
Thanks for your empathy about the loss of my dear friend, Joyce. She IS very missed but I do feel her spirit guiding me, as if the best parts of her loving nature have taken root inside my soul. I know there are many that would not comprehend such a statement but I sense you will know exactly what I mean.
I am sorry to hear of the loss of your baby sister. We have no control over the tragic events that happen, but the way we respond to them is what truly shapes our lives. I sense that your sister's untimely death is the reason you so deeply comprehend that, "Life is a gift best spent in love and expressing love and adoration for all we incounter."
Thanks for the kind words about my writing and the wonderful fan mail. It really made my day!
I look forward to reading more of your hubs and know I will learn and grow from them.
My brother and sister in law lost their son to a car accident last winter. Scotty was in his early 20's and involved in lots fo things. His funeral was an amazing show of love, with hundreds of people showing their love for the family. I watched as my brother and sister in law greeted and consoled for more that 15 hours these people and was amazed and proud of them. Scotty is missed by so many folks especially his parents. My sister in law has had many experiences she believes is Scott trying to communicate that he is all right!!! The comfort this brings to her is amazing.
So sorry for your family's loss, Medor.
It sounds like your sister still feels a spiritual connection to her son which, as you say, is comforting.
Holidays can be particularly tough. A hubber named KCC Big Country has written an excellent hub on getting through the holidays after the loss of someone you love. You can find it at http://hubpages.com/hub/Handling-the-Holidays-Afte
Thanks for taking time to read my hub and leave a comment.
This is such good advice! We do not know what the future holds for any of us and we should treat each other like there is no tomorrow. Thank you for a great hub!
Welcome to my hub Specialk3749,
Thanks for taking time to provide feedback. I can tell from reading your profile and your gingerbread holiday decorations hub that you're a woman who likes to spend quality time with family and puts into practice the advice I was giving in this hub. Time with loved ones is oh so prescious.
Wonderful and refreshing Hub. Keep up the good work.
Welcome 6hotfingers3,
Thanks for stopping by and lending some encouragement about my writing. I'm glad you enjoyed this hub and took the time to leave a comment. I always appreciate feedback.
I'm also glad I've discovered your own hubs.
Loved this post..means a lot to me personally. 'Tis all true.
rw
"Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is." Mary Anne Radmacher
Welcome rwelton,
Glad you enjoyed this hub. I love the quote in your comment. That's exactly how I try to live my life!
Thanks so much for sharing it.
Happyboomernurse, Great I LUV this hub! Beautiful and Thought provoking! What wonderful advice. If we lived each day as if it were our last I believe that we could find some Joy in each day even when things are not going our way… I also think that this would help to choose your words more carefully… “Death and life are in the power of the tongue!” Wonderful! "This is the DAY that the LORD has made! Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it!"
Thank you for sharing your wise insight, In HIS Love, Grace, Joy, Peace & Blessings! GOD BLESS YOU!
Deborrah K. Ogans,
Yes, difficult experiences can focus our attention on what's really important in our relationships and can help us feel joy at the simplest of things like holding our loved one's hand even if they can't walk or talk with us. When I was 18 my beloved boyfriend was dying from cancer and I took a break from a long vigil at his hospital bedside to go for a walk. It was a warm, spring day and I remember being ACUTELY aware of how stunningly beautiful the sunlit flowers were. Somehow God gave me a moment of grace and beauty in the midst of losing the boy I loved. I took a few really deep breaths before returning to his bedside. He died a few hours later and I felt as though a part of me died right along with him yet when I walked back out into the sunshine an INTENSE feeling of momentary peace enveloped me. It was fleeting yet greatly comforting and really caught my attention because I didn't expect it.
Thank YOU for taking time to leave a comment and for adding to this hub with your own beautiful quotes.
A wonderful heart felt hub. There is no time like the present. We should live every moment in case there is no tomorrow. Love is the most powerful of emotions, give it, feel it and totally embrace it. Thank you.
Well said Acaetnna and thank you for adding to this hub with your comment. Every moment, even the difficult, challenging moments are prescious. Love is like oxygen- without it we can't really live we just exist. With it, we thrive.
A remarkable hub.just what i need for the new year
Welcome Royalguyy2k,
Thanks for the positive feedback and for taking time to leave a comment. Best wishes for a wonderful New Year in 2011.
very nice and interesting hub. We should all live as though we can die the next second, because none of us know how and when we'd go. That's why we really ought to behave appropirately and pleasing to God so that when he calls we'd be ever ready to go over Jordan.
I too find myself saying harsh words when i get angry. I don't always mean them i pray that God help me through my downfalls.
Blessings
I completely can relate with this hub. I also know someone that wished harm on a loved one. It was not something she meant really, just something she said during a heated argument. Two days later her sister past away in a car accident.
Unfortunetly, she has not been able to forgive herself,
and it has been almost 15 years.
Life is a gift, and we never know when it will be taken from us.
That's why you should never leave a fight with a loved one with bitter words. Even if you disagree, let them know you disagree but you still love them.
Because who knows, you might not get another chance.
Welcome Mike B.,
Beautifully said. Yes, it is possible to disagree but still reassure someone you love them.
How sad that it's been 15 years and the woman you know still hasn't forgiven herself for her last words to her sister. That is such a tough situation to be in.
Thanks for taking time to read my hub and leave an insightful comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Hi Ladyjojo,
You are so right about being ready to go when our time comes. Being human, it's all too easy to say things in a moment of anger but praying does help us get right with God and can improve our relationships with our fellow humans. Thanks for taking time to leave your wise comment.
So many important messages you shared in this hub. Thanks! I love the sentiment: Be the change you want to see in the world.
I also try to tell people in my life often how much I love, respect, and admire them. It takes such a small amount of effort and time to convey heartfelt emotions.
Welcome Truckstop Sally,
Thanks for taking time to read and comment on my hub.
Glad to hear you already make it a practice to tell people in your life how much they mean to you. As you said it takes so little effort to do so and can really make a difference in someone's life. Hope 2011 will be your best year ever.
I agree that when you know our time is limited our outlook on life changes and we are much more aware of others and how important it is to say "I love you"
Nice hub vocalcoach.
Hi Carrie450,
Thank you for your feedback. It really means a lot to me because you are already a shining example of what I was trying to say, living each moment with conscious intent to spread love and inspiration to others and appreciating the simple, basic things- time with family, loved ones and friends. I admire your beautiful, strong spirit.
I love this hub, its so thought provoking and an encouragement to ponder those things that matter most to us. Thank you for sharing this, and encouraging unconditional love, and to treasure every single moment of every single day. I really appreciate this, and can always use the reminder. :) Beautiful!
Hi Oceansnsunsets,
Thanks so much for your beautiful comment. It is so easy to take things for granted and to slip into the mistaken belief that we have unlimited amounts of time with loved ones, and far better to cherish the simple moments we have together on a daily basis. I was fortunate to learn that lesson at such a young age.
I've only begun to realise this in later life.. better late than never :) Thanks boomer!
Hi Ashantina,
Even though our eyesight may get worse as we grow older, our "vision" and widom (hopefully) get better.
Thanks for taking time to read my hub and leave a comment.
Thank you for sharing this one.
I agree 100% with you and enjoyed this hub which left much food for thought and I rate up.
Great hub.
Take care
Eiddwen.
Thank you for sharing this one.
I agree 100% with you and enjoyed this hub which left much food for thought and I rate up.
Great hub.
Take care
Eiddwen.
Hi Eiddwen,
Thank you, for your kind words and for rating this hub up. You really made my day!
This is a wonderful hub with very good advice. We never know when our time is up.
Thanks Carrie450, your feedback means a lot to me for you have dealt with your diagnosis of cancer so admirably, and make the most of every day. So glad to hear you're in remission.
Writer and inspirational speaker Og Mandino wrote a book (several actually) where he always mentioned living a life to be proud of and grateful for.... in one of his book he wrote.... "I will live this day as if it is my last.....And if it is not, I shall fall ot my knees and give thanks." I read this book well over 15 years ago, but I took it to heart and I try to remember his word every day....I make a few missteps, but when I try it makes a difference in how I talk to people, whether or not I smile at another.... it just makes a difference! Great hub, great job!
Thanks for the Og Mandino quote which I had never seen, yet agree that it's a beautiful way to live. Taken together, the 2 sentences are really powerful: "I will live this day as if it is my last.....And if it is not, I shall fall on my knees and give thanks."
I love inspirational books and I'll have to get some of his from the library. Thanks for sharing this info.
I also appreciate your kind words about my hub and am glad you're already living your own life in a similar manner.
Awesome hub - full speed ahead one inch at a time.... these two quotes fit your hub perfectly - glad you chose them - "Live as though you were to die tomorrow." and, "Be the change you want to see in the world. "
Thanks for the reminder to "LIVE"
Welcome Neil Sperling. Glad you enjoyed the hub and I appreciate the thoughtful comment. Those two quotes are things I need to remind myself of on a daily basis for it's so easy to slip back into the mind-set of waiting for a tomorrow that never comes.
Very moving hub. At my age, I've lost my parents and many friends, so am very aware of the importance of not counting on another day. Sometimes it's not easy to "live as though you won't have another tomorrow", but we should strive to do so...especially by letting others know we love them.
Thanks for a beautiful hub.
JAYE
Welcome JayeWisdom, Glad you could relate to this hub and already strive to live each day as if it were your last and let others know you love them. Even if we live to a ripe old age we won't regret having lived each day to the full.
Thanks for taking time to read and comment on my hub.
Very sobering thoughts. Thaks for sharing. I voted for the first one.
Welcome Quildon.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. You made a good choice and I bet there's people in your life right now that would feel great joy if you told them how much you love and admire them.
An excellent and thought provoking hub. One week before my son died of cancer, he took all his children surfing as this is what he loved to do, and so did the kids. He was an example of living each day to the fullest.
Thanks so much for sharing your powerful personal story in your comment. The two sentences say volumes as to the kind of man your son was and the example he set for his children. It is so hard to watch someone die from cancer and one's last memories of someone dying from cancer can be haunting, focused on the debilitating weakness and suffering that the disease caused. To have a memory of all of them together on the beach while the kids surfed is priceless (though still, oh so bittersweet).
I am reminded of one of the most touching scenes I've ever seen in the movies which was in a 1988 film called, Beaches, with Bette Midler. Her friend is in the hospital dying from cancer, connected to all kinds of tubes, unable to spend time with her young daughter. She begs Bette to take her out of the hospital. Bette does get her discharged and takes her to the beach house for her final few days of life and they sit out on the beach watching a magnificent sunset as the friend's daughter played around them.
It was an act of love by Bette's character, but also by her friend who wanted to see her daughter happy one last time and wanted her daughter to remember the happy times they'd had at the beach, not the image of her mother in the hospital bed.
This is such a moving article ad really makes one realise that one should live every moment with wonder and happiness. I do strive to do so but it is not always easy! A great hub, voting up and pressing your buttons too.
Hi Acaetnna,
I too, have to remind myself of the things I wrote in this hub on a frequent basis. Thanks so much for the vote up. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Great article! I try to live each day to the fullest, and while sometimes it's hard to get away from the minutiae that frustrates us in everyday life, those are not the moments you will remember. It's the great moments in life that come back to us later, in joy and sorrow, and the more joy you embrace, the less sorrow you will need to heal.
Thanks for the great writing!
Hi Bvonpagel,
Thanks for taking time to leave such an insightful comment. I so agree that, "It's the great moments in life that come back to us later, in joy and sorrow, and the more joy you embrace, the less sorrow you will need to heal."
You a way of captivating your readers with great and moving real life stories like this. Thought provoking to say the least.
Welcome Ubanichijioke,
Thanks so much for your comment and feedback. It's greatly appreciated and I am always touched when a reader lets me know that something I've written has touched their hearts.
The give and take between readers and writers on Hub Pages is one of the great things about sharing our work here and I'm looking forward to reading more of your own work.
Powerful, powerful hub and words to remind us that tomorrow is not promised. Thank you for sharing and for the reminder.
Welcome Dee aka Nonna,
Thank YOU for taking time to read it and leave such a thoughtful comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Dear Gail,
I understand this most core and essential tenet of living every day to its fullest, as tomorrow is promised to no one. It took a situation where I cheated death to appreciate this.
I am so grateful that you have expressed these insights and even happier that so many are reading. I often wonder if folks would be surprised at what is said about them at their eulogies? I try to let everyone know why they are special to me, to thank them often and, like you suggested, to try to make every conversation end on a good note.
How would I have known my last conversation with Mom would be: "I'm proud of you for doing so well at your Cardiology appointment. I am looking forward to Mother's Day weekend. I'm so proud of you, Mom and I love you." But I thank God in heaven that it was and she died peacefully that night in her sleep.
Voted UP & amazingly UABI... now to wipe my eyes, mar.
Hi Mar,
I agree that it's sad that many people don't tell others how they truly feel about them or what they admire about them while they're still alive and that the good that's traditionally said at funerals will never be heard by the deceased loved one.
Your last conversation with your mom was so beautiful and loving but also haunting in that she died in her sleep after getting a good report from her Cardiologist. Your hopes must have been high that she would have much more time to spend with her family which would have made the sudden loss even more of a shock.
And I know from some of your hubs and bio, that the conditions under which you cheated death were horrific and traumatic. One moment we can feel like "we're on top of the world in career, family and with friends" and the next moment we can be fighting for our very life or making funeral arrangements for a loved one.
Your comment is a powerful and moving testimony to what I was attempting to say in this hub and I greatly appreciate your sharing such deep insights and painful experiences so that it may help others who read it.
god Hub, boomer. Voted up!
Hi PDX,
Glad you liked it and thanks for the vote up.
This hub brought tears. So, so true. When I lost both my parents within a two-year span, I was saddest because I had not had a goodbye with my mom. She died in her sleep a week after we had visited my parents. Over time, God helped me to see that I was blessed, because we left nothing unsaid. I had no regrets. That made all the difference. None of us knows when our time is up, so the idea of a "proper" goodbye isn't always possible.
Your hub has reminded me of things that are important. Thanks for writing from your heart.
Welcome Seedplanter and thank you for your heartfelt and touching comment. I am sorry to hear you lost both parents within such a short time span but am glad to hear that you came to realize that even though you hadn't been given the opportunity to say the kind of goodbye you would have wanted, you were comforted knowing that your last visit with your Mom had been a blessing as it was a loving one. That is basically what I was trying to say in this hub- that we need to be mindful of always treating our loved ones and friends with respect, love and kindness as none of us knows when our own time will be up.
you're welcome, Boomer nurse!
This is so inspirational. I was estranged from my father for years, but I'm happy to say we've had a loving relationship for the past 10 years. I'm so glad we had the chance to make amends before it was too late. It's so true that we need to leave every day as if it were our last! Thank you for your beautiful thoughts.
Hi Vespawoolf,
Thank you for leaving such an insightful and personal comment that adds an inspirational message for others who may be reading this hub.
I'm so glad you had the chance to make up with your estranged father and have had a loving relationship for the past 10 years and still have more time together.
That's exactly the kind of thing I'm hoping this hub will encourage others to do. Too often, we think there will be a new tomorrow when amends can be made and keep putting off making contact with someone we're estranged from or wait for the other person to make the first move. It's beautiful that you and your dad are now enriching each other's lives.
Yes, you're so right. Sometimes that means being willing to forgive others. In my situation, it was the right thing to do. Thank you again for making a difference!
Peggy W Level 8 Commenter 19 months ago
I voted the first choice and think that it is a good one. This hub about living one's life as if one was to die tomorrow is excellent! Makes one think! Just having lost my mother earlier this year and unexpectedly at that, it is still resonating with me. I miss her loving and wise ways and the greatest compliment anyone could ever say is that I followed in her footsteps.