Living Well

Yesterday morning, Jenny and I received word that the mother of one of Jenny's close friends had passed away. She had been sick for a long time, but was not critically ill, or even in a hospital when it happened.

It has us all in shock. At 30 and 32, Jenny and I do not feel old enough to have friends lose a parent. Reality has hit hard. Our parents are aging. We are at the age where we will have to face their changing health.

And as I think about this, the words of a young pastor come to mind. You've likely read this somewhere. Kyle Lake, pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, planned to speak these words the morning of his tragic and untimely death several years ago. I remember being in our own church in Waco the morning it was announced, and feeling as though the wind had been completely knocked out of me. It was the same feeling yesterday when I heard about this sweet woman.

Live. And Live Well. breathe. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be present. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and feel the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.

If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to freeze your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be alive. Get knee-deep in a novel and lose track of time.

If you bike, pedal hard… and if you crash then crash well.

Feel the satisfaction of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.

If you’ve recently experienced loss, then grieve. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, laugh. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke.

And if you eat, then smell. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And taste. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift.

I'm thankful to have these words to reflect on. I'm thankful to have had a lifetime of memories and love from incredible parents. I'm thankful that our friend had a special day with her mother before she passed away.

I pray that every person who reads this will consider how precious it is to savor every moment that we are given to spend with our loved ones.