If You Can. Seize the Day
Today a former co-worker (the other cat lover who has fostered for an area shelter and who has four of her own cats) came upstairs (she works in the same building, different department) to update me on one of her cats who had dental yesterday (two broken teeth, nerves exposed--poor cat, no wonder she wouldn't eat).
She also came to tell me that one of their staff members passed away suddenly last night.
In fact, he had been looking ill at the office--she said the upper part of his face was utterly paper white--and that she told him to call his wife to let her know she was taking him to the hospital.
We don't know what happened--they don't know either, just that it wasn't a heart attack. The man's wife--now widow--called the head of the department this morning to tell her he had died during the night.
Everyone was in shock, of course. He wasn't old, perhaps late 50s.
My former co-worker told me to make sure I ate my chocolate, because you just don't know.
And you don't.
What I find so difficult to do is to "seize the day" and make the most of the time I have. When I hear things like this, when I think about our limited time here, how fragile and fleeting life is, rather than spurring me to live fully, it has the opposite effect--why bother, everything is meaningless and transient anyway. Perhaps that's a function of my brain chemistry, perhaps just my personality or maybe a bit of both.
But I did have some of the dark chocolate I have stashed in a desk drawer. Just in case.
She also came to tell me that one of their staff members passed away suddenly last night.
In fact, he had been looking ill at the office--she said the upper part of his face was utterly paper white--and that she told him to call his wife to let her know she was taking him to the hospital.
We don't know what happened--they don't know either, just that it wasn't a heart attack. The man's wife--now widow--called the head of the department this morning to tell her he had died during the night.
Everyone was in shock, of course. He wasn't old, perhaps late 50s.
My former co-worker told me to make sure I ate my chocolate, because you just don't know.
And you don't.
What I find so difficult to do is to "seize the day" and make the most of the time I have. When I hear things like this, when I think about our limited time here, how fragile and fleeting life is, rather than spurring me to live fully, it has the opposite effect--why bother, everything is meaningless and transient anyway. Perhaps that's a function of my brain chemistry, perhaps just my personality or maybe a bit of both.
But I did have some of the dark chocolate I have stashed in a desk drawer. Just in case.
Comments
I too am the same, the 'glass is half empty' kind of person... but every once in a while I do realize that if I am moping, I am doing just that- moping...
... because the glass maybe half empty but that's the only glass I got.
I guess that's why I like animals - they live for the now and never worry about yesterday or tomorrow!! I always think how that's such a blissful state of affairs to be in!! :-)
I guess all I can do is live and live as happily and true to myself as I am able to.
Chocolate helps alot!! Take care
x
and no, one can't live each day like it's the last, that's just too much (and hey, it could quite possibly get you a shorter life span!), but i think it's important to see the beauty in smaller things, to be grateful for the good stuff (and of course try and change the bad stuff fo the better) and just be in the here and now (mindfullness) as much as possible.
oh and i do agree with "old kitty" above, we have a lot to learn from animals in this aspect too!
I was voluntarily downsized at the end of August, and been trying to get back on track since.
Getting the folks at the local job centers to get their acts together, and help me sort out retraining for a possible career change has been, um, frustrating, as I still can't get into see anyone.
This year has been a hard one, on many fronts, I had a seizure in may, and will soon be off the meds hopefully for good, I rescued a kitten off my front porch in late summer (Named her Elvira), and Nikita Cat learned he has Arthritis, a couple months ago ( THEIR blog is http://www.opinionatedpussycat.com ).
Last month I took the bulls horn, and began to take basic adult school classes to learn Office Suite 2007.
I updated my LinkIn, and joined my college Alumni Ass., and have thoughts of giving Nikita his own Facebook Fan Page, and do more videos of the cats for youtube.
Nikita, & I, are talented writers, and I can't help but think there is something more in our future there.
In other words I am trying to seize the day, and start anew, at age 50, and learn new skill, and make new connections, especially with regards to our blogging, and writing creativity (Kind of hard to do when you have a tiny audience, few connections, and little time, and resources)....some would throw in the towel, but not I (MY blog is in my name). ;-D
Good luck to you, and take care!