One never knows what the next day, the next hour or the next minute will bring.
I had a dear friend who was younger than me. She was a bike rider, a hiker, an activist who could out-perform almost all of her friends.
We just knew we could depend on her for whatever whenever.
And then she was pulled out of the picture.
She had headaches, dizzy spells, trouble swallowing. Finally she made a trip to the doctor to see what could be wrong. After some brain scans and other tests, she discovered she had cancer. Almost overnight there was surgery to biopsy the tumor, complications, and now she's in rehabilitation while she goes through chemo and radiation therapy. Our friend isn't available for whatever whenever. We need to be available to her for whatever whenever.
I had another fellow activist, a real go-getter, passionate in everything she did. I gave a sigh of relief when she stepped in to fill in the gap left by the first lady discussed above.
I knew she would follow up with whatever she started. Then she discovered her mother had a terminal disease. The mother was put into hospice. Other family members had their own problems. In no time, she was on the road to be the daughter she needed to be. Her total focus shifted to life and death of a dear family member. The whatever whenever as an activist became nil.
I look at my own life once more. I feel great. I have passion to leave this world a better place for my grand kids. About everything I do is geared toward improving my community. I have plans. I have good health. I have the time and resources. I intend to make those changes.
But when I look at the uncertainties of life, as displayed in the lives of friends described above, I also realize that we are all mortal, that none of us has complete control of our life or the lives of those most dear to us.
So do we just sit back and let the inevitable happen? Do nothing? Let others take the chance? Get our lives in order, the paperwork done? Leave our rooms tidy and our gardens weeded?
Not me! I go on and on and on. I pray for continued health, continued blessings of one more day, a week, a month, a year, many years. I pray for my friends while searching for others, who have that passion, that faith this world needs so badly.