If Tomorrow Never Comes
Every once in a while, I listen to "educational" radio. That is to say, I'll turn on NPR News. Sometimes I'll even listed to the Family Life Network. It was one such radio-scanning day that I stopped on FLN when I heard a very powerful thing: Sooner or later, everyone gets the chance to say their final words.
Think about that. I mean, really think about that. Sooner or later, everyone gets the chance to say their final words.
When we're young, we think we're bullet-proof. Nothing can hurt us. We'll never die. We have all the time in the world. As we age, that viewpoint changes some. We get aches and pains, we don't recover from hangovers as quickly, we need naps. We even start to recognize that the end is coming. Death is unavoidable. It's the basic fact of life. So, soon or late, we will say our final words.
And yet, I think we forget that basic fact. We go through our lives, fall into a routine, and don't consider that each moment might be our last. We become so absorbed in the daily routine, we forget to take time to really appreciate what is going on around us. How sad is that?
The day before my father died, he had come down to play cards. We were up the entire night, playing cards and chatting. The entire summer before his death was spent much the same way. I wasn't working much. So, we were able to connect. Really connect, the way a father and son should. The last thing I told him was that he should go see a doctor. It wasn't that I loved him.
My Partner lost someone very close to her. Before we met, she was involved with someone. Really involved. That relationship was cut short. She never had the chance to really explore where it might go. I know she has regrets about it, just as I do my father.
She and I, along with so many others, had the chance to say our last words to those two. And yet, we never really considered that they would be the last words. Many times, now, I still say things without considering that they could be my final words.
Garth Brooks did a great cover of the song, If Tomorrow Never Comes. If you haven't heard the song, listen to it. It carries the same message. If you die, will those around you really know how you felt?
So, that's the point of this post. I wanted to pass that message along. Soon or late, you will say your final words. What do you want them to be? Have you taken the time to tell those close to you how you really feel? Does that special someone in your life really know?
Think about that. I mean, really think about that. Sooner or later, everyone gets the chance to say their final words.
When we're young, we think we're bullet-proof. Nothing can hurt us. We'll never die. We have all the time in the world. As we age, that viewpoint changes some. We get aches and pains, we don't recover from hangovers as quickly, we need naps. We even start to recognize that the end is coming. Death is unavoidable. It's the basic fact of life. So, soon or late, we will say our final words.
And yet, I think we forget that basic fact. We go through our lives, fall into a routine, and don't consider that each moment might be our last. We become so absorbed in the daily routine, we forget to take time to really appreciate what is going on around us. How sad is that?
The day before my father died, he had come down to play cards. We were up the entire night, playing cards and chatting. The entire summer before his death was spent much the same way. I wasn't working much. So, we were able to connect. Really connect, the way a father and son should. The last thing I told him was that he should go see a doctor. It wasn't that I loved him.
My Partner lost someone very close to her. Before we met, she was involved with someone. Really involved. That relationship was cut short. She never had the chance to really explore where it might go. I know she has regrets about it, just as I do my father.
She and I, along with so many others, had the chance to say our last words to those two. And yet, we never really considered that they would be the last words. Many times, now, I still say things without considering that they could be my final words.
Garth Brooks did a great cover of the song, If Tomorrow Never Comes. If you haven't heard the song, listen to it. It carries the same message. If you die, will those around you really know how you felt?
So, that's the point of this post. I wanted to pass that message along. Soon or late, you will say your final words. What do you want them to be? Have you taken the time to tell those close to you how you really feel? Does that special someone in your life really know?
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