Sarah: “I’m so happy I’m not dead, because I love going to school soooooo much!”
Lydia: “Well, you know you’re gonna die soon.”
Me: “Lydia! Don’t say ‘soon!’”
Lydia: “Well, okay, maybe not soon. But mom, we’re all gonna die someday.” Two days later, I’m sharing this story with a friend, and my four year old adds a new detail. “Mom. My friends at school didn’t believe me when I told them they’re gonna die.”
“What did your teacher say?” I’m wondering why I haven’t gotten a phone call yet.
“Oh. She didn’t hear me tell them.” Whew! Sort of.
When I think of the music that filled my ears for more than two decades, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston placed right at the top of my Billboard Charts for many a week.
Three years ago, we were biking as a family when my third daughter took a tumultuous fall, and hubby wasn’t sure if she had broken one of her fingers in addition to all the scrapes and cuts she acquired. She forgot to brake on a steep downhill and lost her balance. Hubby held her for awhile, and when the wails turned to quieter sobs, he transferred Lydia to my arms and raced his bike home to get the car. When he returned, he told us the news he had heard on the car radio.
Michael Jackson had died.
When the credits began to roll, hubby’s best friend opened up his iPad, suspecting that he recognized one of the actors. Sure enough, the guy was on his friend’s Facebook page. Small world.
Then he announced a somber, “Oh. Whitney Houston died.”
Reminds me over and over again that fame, fortune, and expensive medications perhaps can prolong the end, but no one will escape the inevitable. In the sobering words of my eight year old, we are all gonna die someday.
These words should make each of us think. What do I want to be remembered for? What do I want to accomplish before I take my last breath? What do I want to contribute before my turn is up? What do I believe about life after death?
Because, let’s face it, there are no guarantees that any of us gets another tomorrow. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston fans know this. But we forget quickly too.
Mandisa sums it up so well:
“Can’t spend my whole life wasting
All the grace I know I’ve been given
‘Cause you’ve made for so much more than
Sitting on the side lines
I don’t wanna look back and wonder
If good enough could’ve been better
Everyday’s a day to start over
So, why am I waiting for tomorrow?”
So. Why are you waiting for tomorrow?
Thanks Yolanda!! 🙂 Appreciate your reading and feedback!! -Raj
You’ve brought up some very good food for thought, Raj.