A Breath, A Vapor...Live A Meaningful Life

The past few weeks have been a reminder to me of the brevity of life. It truly is like a vapor--here and then gone...seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, decades. Every second that ticks by I choose. I choose how to spend my time. I choose which tasks to devote my attention to. I choose to let others know their meaning to me or I choose to keep it tucked away as a thought...hoping to share it with them "one day." I have seemed to store a lot of those "good intentions" lately. 

I stayed with my daddy and Fran, my other mother, a few Tuesdays ago at the hospital while daddy had a small procedure done to insert an ICD. I cherished watching Fran lean over him and wipe the small shiver of slobber from the corner of his mouth as he snored...The eye contact and the gentle smile that slid across his face as his bride was by his side. It was snapshot of enduring love. 

I was reminded of C.W. (Johnny's stepdad) asking the dr. questions he had scribbled on his hand immediately after Ann's cancer removal surgery...a loving husband ensuring he could remember to have answers for her...a memory of dedication and faithfulness forever etched into my brain.

When I hung up from talking to my mom a few Monday nights ago, I smiled as I remember her coming up the stairs to my room, sitting on my bed and talking until bedtime when I was a teenager.  Her constant prayers and example of living faith helped mold my thoughts, ideas, and identity...a momma, just loving her daughter.

Watching John Gannon pray for my granddad before he had his cancerous bladder removed was overwhelming. A moment this mom will forever cherish.

"Moma...Moma!" "Yes, Jackson? "I wuv you." "I love you, too Jackson!"  The gentle words of an almost 5 year old. Words that are meaningful to this mom.

Can it really be almost 18 years since I said "I do" to hands down, the greatest man on the planet?  Children-- almost 9 and 5? WHAT???? A vapor... 

Watching a group of children run around for hours, just enjoying each others company-a reminder that you need absolutely nothing but each other to have a good time.

Friends...

I want my moments to count.  I want those who inspire me to know it. I want those who have invested in my life to know that they matter.  I want those around me to know they are loved. 

Living a meaningful life-requires me to prioritize things that I say matter instead of just letting them fade as good intentions and warm feelings. 

Live a Meaningful Life!