If...?

A long time ago - back when I could spend money on random & interesting things - I picked up a book at Borders. It was one of those little hardback books that get displayed near the cash registers. The title is what really caught my eye: "...If."

"If" is a book of questions on life and love and sex and morality. It asks the reader things like, "If you could change only one thing about your life, what would that be?" Nice conversation starter, huh? (Even for those in-your-own-head conversations.)

Anyway, I was telling a friend about this book the other day and she sprung a question on me: "If you had only 24 hours left to live, how would you use the time?"

Now, I have no idea what happened with that book of mine during all my moves so I can't remember if that's one of the questions, but it probably is. It certainly gets your mind going, that question. Because I am such a mental mess, I had to ask a million other questions before I could even think about answering my friend: "Is money a limit?" "When does the 24 hours start - now or when I choose?"... Told you, I'm a mess.

Assuming no limitations, I came up with more & less than I thought I would. In no particular order, here's what I would do:

• Make sure to say "I love you" in person to certain people.
• Ask forgiveness from some people (& let others know I forgive them).
• Write letters to leave behind for certain people in my life.
• Have a talk (prayer) with God, asking for His forgiveness. (Um, that should probably have been #1...)
• Eat a great meal (something involving seafood, the world's best salad and a dessert with chocolate and champagne).
• Listen to a CD of my favorite songs (& make sure to dance to some of them).
• Sit in the sunshine under a blue sky and listen to children laugh & play.
• Go to a playground to swing, slide and ride the merry-go-round one last time.
• Cut my hair in some outrageous and daring style.
• Hold an infant and watch their smiles and movements.
• Ride in a car with the top down.
• Walk on a beach holding hands with someone I love.

After I thought about all of this, I asked myself why it took thinking of death to make me want to live so much. I wonder what other people's lists would look like. I wonder if there is anyone who could truly say that they've done everything they ever wanted to do?

Peace
--Free