I received a message yesterday that went like this, "Robert passed away. His viewing will be ... and his funeral will be ... ."
Robert was younger than myself by less than a year. We grew up in the same Northcentral Florida farm community.
He was a smoker and heavy drinker, and those bad habits probably cost him his life as he died of cancer. Thanks to the early intervention of my parents, I never adopted the smoking habit.
Earlier this year, Robert was in "a bad accident" and during the recovery period, he learned that he had terminal cancer with "6 months to live." Three weeks later, Robert was dead.
In 1998, my father was informed that he had cancer and he had less than 3 months to live. In less than a week, he was dead.
During the years since my father's passing, I have often reflected on the ephemeral nature of life. We are here on this earth for only a very short time, so we might as well make the most of our existence. Each of us must decide for himself or herself how we will live our lives and what constitutes a meaningful existence for ourselves.
I have been blessed during my life with good friends. I would have had more friends if I had not dedicated so much effort to working. I am an admitted and unabashed workaholic. For myself, I can think of nothing more enjoyable than the creativity I exhibit through my work.
It is true that my life is not balanced, but I enjoy my life. I own a lovely home, in a beautiful neighborhood, in a safe and enjoyable community. I do not believe you need to have balance in your life if you are willing to accept the negatives that flow from that lack of balance. Great things are often developed by individuals who are anything but balanced.
When my time to leave this world arrives, I will be ready. I am not in a hurry to conclude my life, but I am ready for whatever the future may bring. With good fortune, I hope to have many more years of life ahead of me; however, I have observed that I have already outlived many of my high school classmates.
We can influence the length of our lives; however, short of suicide, an act all too sadly common, we do not know the exact day or time our lives will end. We awake each day not knowing whether that will be the final day of our lives.
Live right and be ready! Life is short, so make the most of it!
Please share your views with me by emailing me at Burton@ValdostaMemorials.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Robert was younger than myself by less than a year. We grew up in the same Northcentral Florida farm community.
He was a smoker and heavy drinker, and those bad habits probably cost him his life as he died of cancer. Thanks to the early intervention of my parents, I never adopted the smoking habit.
Earlier this year, Robert was in "a bad accident" and during the recovery period, he learned that he had terminal cancer with "6 months to live." Three weeks later, Robert was dead.
In 1998, my father was informed that he had cancer and he had less than 3 months to live. In less than a week, he was dead.
During the years since my father's passing, I have often reflected on the ephemeral nature of life. We are here on this earth for only a very short time, so we might as well make the most of our existence. Each of us must decide for himself or herself how we will live our lives and what constitutes a meaningful existence for ourselves.
I have been blessed during my life with good friends. I would have had more friends if I had not dedicated so much effort to working. I am an admitted and unabashed workaholic. For myself, I can think of nothing more enjoyable than the creativity I exhibit through my work.
It is true that my life is not balanced, but I enjoy my life. I own a lovely home, in a beautiful neighborhood, in a safe and enjoyable community. I do not believe you need to have balance in your life if you are willing to accept the negatives that flow from that lack of balance. Great things are often developed by individuals who are anything but balanced.
When my time to leave this world arrives, I will be ready. I am not in a hurry to conclude my life, but I am ready for whatever the future may bring. With good fortune, I hope to have many more years of life ahead of me; however, I have observed that I have already outlived many of my high school classmates.
We can influence the length of our lives; however, short of suicide, an act all too sadly common, we do not know the exact day or time our lives will end. We awake each day not knowing whether that will be the final day of our lives.
Live right and be ready! Life is short, so make the most of it!
Please share your views with me by emailing me at Burton@ValdostaMemorials.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
