Why NOW is the time to start keeping your resolutions.
Tomorrow is New Year’s Day, the most popular day for making resolutions, so I planned to write a long post about new year’s resolutions – how to make them, how to keep them, and why bother.
About how to eat better, to exercise more, to nag less, to have more fun, to have closer friendships, to sing in the morning to your children.
But I just got back from a funeral.
All I can think is – one day, that phone is going to ring. For you, for me, for someone we love.
Henri-Frederic Amiel wrote: “Life’s short and we never have enough time for the hearts of those who travel the way with us. O, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”
Dear readers, NOW is the time to keep the resolutions that will make us ready; the phone is going to ring.
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Attending the funeral of someone important in our lives will put many things into perspective. At least it does for me. I cherish my memories and revisit them from time to time. I have goals and hopes for the future, and review them regularly to be sure I am doing something today to make them true in my life both now (developing) and int he future (achieved.) But it is this moment we have, none other. Thank you for reminding me to really be with the ones I love today. I wish you a blessed New Year.
Posted by: Bob Airhart | December 31, 2007 at 02:30 PM
The quote from Henri-Frederic Amiel reminded me of this one:
"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A good resolution (for me, anyway) would be to let go of grudges.
Posted by: Alex C. | December 31, 2007 at 03:52 PM
Some words from Augustinus that I found comfort in when some dear ones passed away:
"The person we knew is no longer here but will be with us whenever we think of him."
Posted by: chris | January 01, 2008 at 08:17 AM
I am sorry for your loss. I read this blog all the time. This type of situation does remind us to be grateful for every day with our loved ones. Something that gives me happiness. An attitude of gratitude.
Posted by: Wendi | January 01, 2008 at 10:34 AM
What a powerful post. Thank you for keeping this blog; I've been reading for months and it has given me plenty of food for thought.
I hope that 2008 will be a good year for you and all of your readers.
Posted by: Susie | January 01, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Yes, this rings true for me too. I'm writing from Kenya where in the last few days the once "stable country in the region" has entered pure chaos (election related).
It's horrible and sad and scary and exhausting. And it reminds me, among other things, how precarious life is, how frail... and how precious. How every day of peace is a blessing. How grateful we are for food, for our homes, and for a stable environment. Anything beyond that is luxury.
I used to get annoyed having to wait at a grocery line for five minutes when the cashier was slow. Suddenly, quite suddenly, there is no food in the grocery store.
Praying for peace and harmony and (my 2008 theme) PERSPECTIVE in the new year.
best to you and the family, e
Posted by: emilie | January 02, 2008 at 05:11 AM
My condolences for the loss of your friend. How tough it must have been for the family to grapple with this over the holidays.
I'm glad you've honored your friend by living your life deeply. I've always looked upon death as the smiling positive motivator, a patient tap on the shoulder warning me not to let time slip by unmindfully.
One newsletter I share with my closest comes from the ToDo Institute, a site dedicated to Japanese psychology. It's called "Thirty Thousand Days."
Thirty thousand days works out to about 81 years--a fine amount of time for anyone on this earth. I had always heard the prayer, "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts with wisdom." Well, there's the number.
I hope your friend enjoyed such a rich amount of time. I hope your 2008 will yield all you put into it.
_/\_, Thayne
Posted by: Thayne | January 02, 2008 at 06:46 PM
Just been reading through some posts on Google Reader and I came across this one. It is easily taken for granted that people 'will be around'. New Year's Eve I found out my gramp had died at the age of 78 after taking ill on Christmas day. Before Christmas he had barely a day of illness.
I have gone into 2008 with a renewed sense of time being finite, never take a moment for granted.
Posted by: Greg Robson | January 13, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Thank you for posting this. Your blog is so enlightening.
Posted by: phil and teds sport | March 06, 2010 at 12:42 PM