I had the pleasure this weekend to watch my daughter, my youngest child graduate from Physicians Assistant School at George Washington University in Washington D.C. It was one of those peak experiences in life, some call them mountain top experiences. It seemed that all the hard work my wife and I put in as parents and all the hard work my daughter put in as a student were highlighted in a joyful celebration. When I returned to town yesterday I learned about the tragic death of Matt Gnage, a seventh grader here at Churchville-Chili Junior High. Needless to say, I was shocked and saddened by the news. It is startling sometimes how close together joy and sorrow can live. Most of the time, we live comfortably away from the two extremes, but I would like you to ask yourself a few of questions about how you are planning to live your life today. What if you knew, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, that you were going to live forever? How would that change the way you live today? What if you knew this was going to be your last 24 hours? How would that affect your decisions? How about if you had no idea how long you were going to live, and the only thing you could control was how well? That’s what it comes down to. Live your life well today. Treat your friends, the people you don’t care for and yourself well. Then, when you call it a day, tonight, you can feel good about your place on earth.
Leave A Comment