Going through life is like avoiding minefields... For the past week I have felt a bit like this in my home. My husband and daughter have both had a ferocious cold... the kind that fills the house with germs of sneezes and coughs and mucus and yuk... Frankly, I'm afraid to touch anything for fear I'll pick up the germs, and I find myself holding my breath. I'm always grateful at night that there's a spare bed in the house where my husband can keep his hacking to himself.
The other night we drove to the beach, in our tin can Honda Civic. As they coughed and wheezed I found myself growing more and more tense. I thought about the germs on the steering wheel and how there will be no way that I can escape this horrible fate that seems to be laid out before me. My bloodstream is filled with vitamin C drinks, echinacea, zinc lozenges and multiple vitamins. I wash my hands continually and try not to touch my face. I sleep with the windows open and make sure that I don't fall behind in rest. I'm doing all the right things... but I'm a nervous wreck. One missed night of sleep and poof... bam.... bomb contacted!
I don't want to be sick. I have senior sessions booked solid for the next few weeks. I have a life to lead and illness is just not in my plans! As I say this, I am reminded of a friend a few years ago, a young mother who was struggling with cancer. Her last post on Facebook was "The doctor says that I need to go to the hospital. I don't have time for this!" Two days later she was dead......
Life interrupted. The best laid plans.... We can make our plans but it's really "God willing" isn't it? Evil runs rampant.
The fact that so much can happen to us at any moment is exactly the reason that we need to celebrate life. Every good thing is a gift to be celebrated and cherished. And in the presence of fear is a good place to practice faith. The truth is as we walk through life, we have near misses all the time that we never even knew about! This is where we make the choice... fear or faith. Or maybe we can just choose to live in denial... that could work too.... We can bury our head in the sand and hope the monster never comes out to bite us. We can drink lots of Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and buy lots of Apple products and shop every few days at Anthro... hmmm. Oh never mind... that was yesterday's post!
Carpe Diem - seize the day. That's what it is really about. Every day is a gift. Every act of love is beautiful. Cherish it.. cherish life. Take stock of what is real and present so that you can try to avoid stepping on the mine fields that are apparent to you... there are signs. Don't be one of those people that "steps in it" all the time because they aren't looking. Be watchful, be diligent... be focused and smart with your resources... your time, your energy.
Above all... love deeply, fully, richly and honestly. It's good for the soul!
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