Life As We Know It...

Life as We Know It

Standing outside on my front porch, talking to my husband. It was not an unusual activity. Watching our friend’s dog as he paced around the front yard, marking his territory the best his poor arthritic body would let him. I hear a jingling coming from somewhere, source unknown.

Out pops a little dog. A dog we are unfamiliar with, but small and seemed friendly. Of course, Tommy, our friend’s dog, was totally taken by surprise. He was very sure that this dog was breaking some sort of territorial law or something. With fur standing on end, he goes to confront this stranger. Not knowing how he was going to react and the fact that he has most definitely reached his senior years, I followed. This little dog seemed so curious. He had tags but was still a bit jumpy being in a new yard. Tommy continued his advance, closer and closer to the edge of the property.

My husband comes down to try to call this newcomer over to check his tags while I held Tommy by the collar. Something started this little guy and he took off for the end of our driveway. He jumped out into the street just as a neighbor was pulling by. The driver swerved and missed this dog by maybe a foot or two as he darted into the brush of someone else’s yard.

In that instant, my husband and I both audibly gasped. We both really felt that this poor little dog was not going to survive. Maybe the driver was not going to see the dog or maybe the dog in his nervousness would dart in the wrong direction. Luckily for all, it worked out.

This got me thinking though. Live every moment as if it is your last. That dog could have died, or been injured beyond repair. Think of how many mundane things you do every day that could kill you. Driving down the end of the street, walking through a parking lot or walking to your mailbox. Without a second thought, you could be dead. You would be gone in some sort of terrible accident. Those are just the normal everyday things you could be doing. I would hate to imagine the abnormal things that could happen while you are just in your own home.

Events like these make you think. You begin to question the things you have done and the things that you will do. You think about all of your loved ones and perhaps if you tell them how meaningful they are to you or if you have told them you love them enough. You wonder if your family will be taken care of when you are gone. Will you be missed? How will you survive during whatever comes after your “living” life when you are “in the beyond,” without those important people?

I will have to ponder this subject a bit more and see what I come up with. Please, if anyone has input…have at it. I would love to hear other people’s thoughts on this subject.

Until then…