Musings

There is a quote from Anna Quindlen that I ran across again today. "Think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." If you think about it for a minute, what does it say to you?

In the past 15 years I have been to so many funerals that I can no longer count them. Most of them were friends and family that I felt had died "too soon". For one thing, they expected many more years to do the things they wanted to accomplish in life. Some of them had at least a little notice but some woke up that morning expecting to go back to their own bed that night. We aren't guaranteed warning. We actually got that when we came to earth in the beginning. I can imagine how it went. (Give me a little leeway, it's imagined, ok?)

There I was all excited for my next adventure. I was going to Earth! I was going to get a body, as a baby, of course. My coach in Heaven was prepping me for my trip and made sure I had everything I needed. As I'm getting ready to leave, she said, "Remember, dear. Your time on Earth is very short. Don't waste your time on goofy things. Get all the knowledge, memories and happiness you can cram into that life. This is your warning and you won't get another one. Now have fun and I'll see you when you get back." I got my hug and took off for Earth.

I do know some of those that died had felt a sense of urgency in their last few years. The best example is my mother. As she was getting weaker but before she was too weak to do anything, she took two courses to accomplish two things she had always wanted to do. She took an EMT course and an American Sign Language Course. When she was finished she was qualified to do both. She did something about her goals in life. Admirable.

Two of the things I have wanted to do and am slowly working on - I want to visit (and attend a session) in as many temples as I possible can. I also want to visit as much of the United States as possible (and any other part of the world). I'm hoping to add to these two "things accomplished" lists each year. Actually, since my kids have moved all over the place, they have helped me. Cool, hunh?