LETTERS

Live life to the fullest

Posted

To the Editor:
Seeing the longest day of the year, June 21, is behind us it brings me to reflect on the brevity of life. At this time, when life and all of nature are in full flower, the summer solstice is sandwiched between the anniversary of my father’s sudden death 25 years ago and the birthday of my sister-in-law who died suddenly last month.
The Bible refers to mankind as a “Flower.” We are repeatedly admonished to “make the most of every opportunity.” My sister-in-law and my brother had planned to retire together later this year. A medical issue caused her to retire A few months earlier than planned to have surgery. The surgery went well, but a post-op blood clot suddenly ended her life a month to the day she had surgery. She was only retired one month.
They were going to do some traveling together. Nothing extravagant, just East Coast destinations, but now they will never do it together.
I want to say to everyone, in honor of their memory, do not hold back. Go for it. Call your friends and family that you don’t see regularly. Take the trip you’ve always wanted to take.
There is a quote from Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will regret more things you did not do than the things you did.”
June 21 may be the longest day of the year, but life can be surprisingly short.
Do all the things that are important to you now. Just as the men who survived D Day felt an obligation to live life to the fullest for their friends who never had the opportunity to grow old. Let us live life to the fullest in honor of those who have passed from life’s stage. As Shakespeare said, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all.”
Stop and smell the roses before they are gone. Our daily bread devotional for June 5, “We exchange regret over life’s brevity for the full enjoyment of life [with God] both now and forever.”

Lorraine Potter-Cooper
Warwick

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  • marygrady

    Thanks for sharing your experience! It's so true and we all need to be reminded now and then, we get so caught up in the minutiae of everyday life. So sorry for your losses. We all have memories of those gone too soon, we can honor them by making the most of every day we have.

    Tuesday, July 11, 2017 Report this