do it

life is fleeting. we've all heard it said before and there are those times when we catch a glimpse of that reality for ourselves. how many times have you been at a funeral and told one of your cousins that "we need to get together more often" or looked your grandma in the eyes while telling her your sorry for only coming to see her when people die? it is an issue that we all face because we are so busy. we assume people will be around when we get good and ready to go see them. sometimes we may even feel some offense toward someone and quietly, yet vindictively say to ourselves that if they want to see us they know where we live.

over the past month i have attended a good number of funerals. for some of the families the loss was expected while for others they never saw it coming. in both cases i overheard people apologizing for their busyness and lack of connection. i heard them making promises that the cynic in me believes they will never keep. i can only assume that for the majority of those making promises their intent is pure but their follow through will be lacking. i know this to be true because i am one of those people.

as you go throughout the day let me encourage you to do something. call the people that need to be called. write a letter to the people that need a letter. cancel your plans for the weekend to go play golf or shopping and take the grand kids to see their grandparents. shoot an e-mail to a friend that probably thinks you've fallen off the face of the earth. give your kids a hug....a long one that reminds them that you love them and will always be there for them. leave the office early....tell your boss you have an emergency at your house. if you haven't been home much then you really do have an emergency....your family is probably dying to see you.

all this to say do it! do the things you will regret later if you choose to stay too busy to do them today. say what needs to be said before the funeral and begin to live out the fullness of life.