Carpe Diem - Sieze the Day

As Sept. 11 rolls around each year most of us are reminded of the tragic events of 9/11, especially this year as it marks the 10th anniversary of that unforgettable day.   For our family we are reminded each year at this time of the loss of our son Michael who died so unexpectedly on Sept. 10, 2002.  I reminisce.....

We had spent the weekend prior to his death at a family reunion up at Chesley Lake.  We were excited to take our first trip in our new Ford Windstar with its multimedia setup where the kids could watch videos and even play their Playstation. We had a great weekend visiting with relatives, canoeing, golfing and just being together. I remember playing a Playstation game on the way home in the van with Michael.  I've never had any talent or interest in video games but I played along anyway.  Michael was too nice of a guy to tell me how horrible I was. 

We arrived home late Sunday night and received a call that my Aunt Jean who had been at the reunion that weekend had suffered a heart attack just prior to leaving the camp, and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she passed away.  What a shock for everyone!  It was so sad.

The following day we received some more bad news.  Maurice's Uncle Sagar had passed away.  Two deaths in two days!  It was just plain sobering.  I began thinking how short life is and how we must value each day that we have.  I scrawled on a piece of paper "Carpe Diem - Sieze the Day. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow" and stuck it on the fridge.   I just wanted it to be a reminder of what's important in life and to live without regrets.

As it turned out, that evening was the last time we would all see Michael.   I remember him sitting at the computer doing homework or something, then he decided to cut his hair.  I was sitting at the kitchen table a bit later when he came along and popped the back of his head in my face.  "Did I miss any spots?", he asked.  He had trimmed his hair short but couldn't see the back too well.  Now, for the average mother a moment like that would just be par for the course, but as a fairly new step-mom still finding my way, I felt very honored in that moment that he wanted my opinion.  Those were my last words with Michael.   He was up and gone to college early the next morning before any of us had a chance to see him, and he died that day at school.

I've often thought how strange it was that I put the note on the fridge that day.   Was it prophetic, or just coincidental?  All I know is that it still holds true.  We need to live each day as if it was our last.  Each day is a gift.   Honestly, I don't think I do that so well most of the time, but it's a perspective that I desire to have.  Elijah & Natalie love singing along to a Christian song that says "I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapour in the wind.  Still You hear me when I'm calling, You catch me when I'm falling and You've told me who I am - I am Yours".  How true.

Funerals can be so difficult and emotional, but they never cease to leave us with a fresh perspective on the sanctity and fragility of life. For that reason I don't despise funerals. Tomorrow I'll be attending a memorial service for my Aunt Grace who recently passed away.  She wasn't a famous or wealthy woman, but she was a woman who loved very well.  She loved without judging and took time to make each person feel important.  What a legacy to leave.  Tomorrow we'll celebrate the wonderful gift that she was, and reflect on how we are living our own lives, how we can live and love better. 

So, seize the day - stop and smell the roses, make a difference in someone's life, don't sweat the small stuff, do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.