Learning to 'Live a Little'
An elderly man teaches me an important life lesson.
I can remember there was a point in my life when it seemed like all of my aunts and uncles were dying. My grandfather, my grandmother and a few distant relatives had long since passed away when I suddenly realized that my family had gotten smaller.
It is all a part of the cycle of life. When I think back, I guess it really didn't come as much of a surprise to me. I was a kid and I saw everyone over 50 as "old."
Guess what? I'm "old" now. My brother's older than me and our parents are gone.
Does it bother me? Yes!
Well, it did until I met Jake yesterday.
I was visiting a friend in the hospital. I had been there a few times and every time I walked by one of the day rooms I saw this older man sitting there. He was always in the same spot facing the window.
I really wouldn't have noticed him except for the fact that at that same time everyday the sun light would pour into that room. With all of the rain and typical autumn weather lately, any sunshine was a rare treat.
Jake seemed to be in a spotlight as the sun washed over him highlighting his nearly white hair.
Today I had to comment as I passed by.
"You appear to bring out the best in this day," I said.
He didn't respond immediately. He almost seemed mesmerized by it all.
"Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked.
"The last few days as I walked by I saw you sitting here. Each time I saw you the room was filled with sunlight. I haven't seen the sun for days. You looked like you were enjoying every minute of it," I said.
He smiled politely and then turned back toward the window.
I'm usually good at chitchat but couldn't seem to interest him at all.
"Well, have a good day," I said as I turned and walked away.
"Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to brush you off," he said as he motioned with his hand for me to come back.
"My name is Jake, what's yours?"
"Bob. It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't mean to interrupt your time here."
"No, you really didn't. What good is time if you don't share it with someone you've never met before?" he said politely.
"I'm visiting a friend. He'll be going home tomorrow. When I saw you again today I just felt the need to say something to you this time," I told him.
There was silence again.
"You see, I love meeting people. Everyone has a story. I've never met anyone who didn't teach me something."
"I don't think I have anything to offer you. Maybe I'll be the first," he said.
Does it bother me? Yes!
Well, it did until I met Jake yesterday.
I was visiting a friend in the hospital. I had been there a few times and every time I walked by one of the day rooms I saw this older man sitting there. He was always in the same spot facing the window.
I really wouldn't have noticed him except for the fact that at that same time everyday the sun light would pour into that room. With all of the rain and typical autumn weather lately, any sunshine was a rare treat.
Jake seemed to be in a spotlight as the sun washed over him highlighting his nearly white hair.
Today I had to comment as I passed by.
"You appear to bring out the best in this day," I said.
He didn't respond immediately. He almost seemed mesmerized by it all.
"Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked.
"The last few days as I walked by I saw you sitting here. Each time I saw you the room was filled with sunlight. I haven't seen the sun for days. You looked like you were enjoying every minute of it," I said.
He smiled politely and then turned back toward the window.
I'm usually good at chitchat but couldn't seem to interest him at all.
"Well, have a good day," I said as I turned and walked away.
"Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to brush you off," he said as he motioned with his hand for me to come back.
"My name is Jake, what's yours?"
"Bob. It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't mean to interrupt your time here."
"No, you really didn't. What good is time if you don't share it with someone you've never met before?" he said politely.
"I'm visiting a friend. He'll be going home tomorrow. When I saw you again today I just felt the need to say something to you this time," I told him.
There was silence again.
"You see, I love meeting people. Everyone has a story. I've never met anyone who didn't teach me something."
"I don't think I have anything to offer you. Maybe I'll be the first," he said.
I began to think he really didn't want to talk to me and I did indeed interrupt his time there.
"Well, I'll go now and let you get back to the sun. Whatever your challenges are, I'll say a prayer for you," I told him.
"Well, I'll go now and let you get back to the sun. Whatever your challenges are, I'll say a prayer for you," I told him.
As I stood up he grabbed my right hand and looking up he said, "Every day you live a little or die a little."
I sat back down next to him.
"See, you were wrong. I did learn something from you. I love it."
"I'll be leaving here in a few days. I had a scare and it really got me thinking. I looked back at this past year and thought about how much time I wasted. I thought about all the things I did that got me here and decided that it was no way to live. Every day I was dying a little. Now I want to choose to live."
"This was perfect timing for me. Over the last few days I have been made aware of more people who were dying. It made me remember my childhood days losing relatives and now I find I have gone full circle and I'm losing friends. Friends who are much too young to die," I said as I looked out the window.
"Every day you live a little or die a little. It's really a choice," he said.
We sat there together quietly for a few more minutes enjoying the sun.
On the way home I thought about what Jake had said to me. Reflecting back over the last few weeks of my own life I realized I had some changes to make.
Tomorrow? I'll live a little!
I sat back down next to him.
"See, you were wrong. I did learn something from you. I love it."
"I'll be leaving here in a few days. I had a scare and it really got me thinking. I looked back at this past year and thought about how much time I wasted. I thought about all the things I did that got me here and decided that it was no way to live. Every day I was dying a little. Now I want to choose to live."
"This was perfect timing for me. Over the last few days I have been made aware of more people who were dying. It made me remember my childhood days losing relatives and now I find I have gone full circle and I'm losing friends. Friends who are much too young to die," I said as I looked out the window.
"Every day you live a little or die a little. It's really a choice," he said.
We sat there together quietly for a few more minutes enjoying the sun.
On the way home I thought about what Jake had said to me. Reflecting back over the last few weeks of my own life I realized I had some changes to make.
Tomorrow? I'll live a little!
Bob Perks
ACTION
"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I
don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can't find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw is giving us some superb motivation today to go out and grab the brass ring, to take action to make things happen. You can wait for your ship to come in, but if you don't bring it to shore, just who do you think will?
Got dreams? Got plans? Got goals? Go for them now.
"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I
don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can't find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw is giving us some superb motivation today to go out and grab the brass ring, to take action to make things happen. You can wait for your ship to come in, but if you don't bring it to shore, just who do you think will?
Got dreams? Got plans? Got goals? Go for them now.
The easiest thing to do when the alarm clock rings would be to roll over and go back to sleep. Yet if you made that choice every day you would never get anything accomplished.
The easiest thing to do when troubles come your way would be to look for someone else to blame. Yet even if you find who is to blame, that's not going to remedy the situation.
The easiest thing to do when faced with a challenge would be to run away and hide. Yet when you do that, the challenge becomes even more difficult the next time you encounter it, and eventually you'll be unable to avoid it.
Taking the easy way out is never really easy, not in the long run. Rather than seeking the easiest choice, seek the choice that will fill your life and your world with the most value.
Rather than avoiding effort, welcome that effort and the progress it will bring. Instead of being enticed by the empty promises of an easy answer, enjoy the rich rewards of holding out for the best answer.
When you have the choice, forget what is easiest and go with what is truly best.
Ralph Marston
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