I just got an email that asks "What would you do if you only had 30 days to live?" Then suggests, "Why don't you live that way now?"
Well here's the deal. My confession really. If I only had 30 days to live I would start smoking again. Why not? I wouldn't worry about my health or these extra 30 pounds I'm carrying around. Why should I? I wouldn't care if my house was clean or if we did Math, I would spend each day with my kids and my husband and they would put things on hold to be with me.
I think a more profound question for me would be, "What if you had 30 years to live?" Do I want to spend those years on an oxygen tank? Do I want to spend them with heart disease? Bad knees and back?
In 30 years, the Good Lord willing, I will be 74 years old. That's not so old in today's world. I don't want to wake up at 73 1/2 and wonder what happened to my life. I want to be happy, healthy, productive and close to God with many, many years of good memories with my kids and grandkids.
In order to wake up on that wonderful day and say, "All is well." I need to start now. I have taken care of my family for 28 years now, but I haven't done a good job of taking care of me. It somehow felt selfish to take care of me. Well I now realize that if I don't take care of me, I won't be around to take care of them.
My 44th birthday was the 6th of this month. I woke up and said, "All is not well." On March 12th I quit smoking. Because I tend to gain weight when I quit smoking, I have been really changing my lifestyle. Walking, drinking water, watching what I eat. My goal is 15 pounds this year. (All right, it's 30 but I think 15 is more realistic!!)
I am spending more time with the Lord. More time-quality time-with my husband and kids. Cleaning and decluttering my home so it is clean, healthy & a good example, but not to the point of neurosis. Trying to remember that "school" takes place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and rarely with textbooks.
Whether God gives me 30 days on this earth or 30 years, I've decided that I want to live it to the fullest. Starting with the next 30 minutes.
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Thank you for taking care of you for me. Is that selfish? So be it. I love you and you need to know that we are all counting on you to be there when we need you. In my case, that is all day, every day.
Since today is the first day of the rest of our lives, let's live it to the fullest and enjoy the moment. It is the journey that counts. Not so much the destination or the results. A wise man once told me that if I take care of the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. Same with life. If we take care of the days, the years will take care of themselves.
"I appreciate you" doesn't seem to say it strong enough. Words do not express how important you are to me. My goal is to live up to your expectations so don't settle for less on my account.
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