Back in November (11/28/13) I wrote a post "Living Each Day As If It Were The Last." In that post I talked about being present to the richness of life every day so that we don't miss a thing. I believe it is true that if we live with that level of attention, life would be heaven on earth. Sadly, I think even the most conscious among us only scratch the surface of drinking in the whole experience. I am pretty certain that if anyone gets really close, they get "called home"--their learning is complete.
Sometimes I miss things: no, all the time I miss things. Maybe I should say that sometimes I am really present. But, sometimes I miss a lot. I seemed to have totally missed movies in the 80s and early 90s and TV for most of the 90s. There was other good stuff going on, but occasionally, I find that I am pop-culturally challenged. I just discovered a 90s sitcom--"Mad About You"-- that I have been binge-watching. I am pretty sappy about love, and "Mad About You" is totally unapologetic about love--all kinds of love.
One of the last episodes on the DVD collection was one in which Jamie (the wife) and Paul (the husband) discover that their regular UPS delivery man--young and good looking--just died. They contemplate the fragility of life and ponder the question I asked in November: what if this were the last day of our lives? They decide that they would want to tell all the people they love that they love them. And Paul and Jamie really love a lot of people. So they make a list and go about expressing their love to friends and family. Of course, it was a sitcom, so almost none of the gestures really lands like they intended. Their intentions were good nonetheless.
I truly believe that this question about the last day of our lives is an important one. I am confident that if it isn't the secret, it is one of the secrets to joy, peace, and happiness. I also know that I neglect people that I love--take them for granted, and I assume they know how I feel. I hope that I have more luck than Paul and Jamie did, but I feel like I want to start telling those in my life that I do love them. (Friends, be warned: I'm coming with love!)
In another episode, Paul and Jamie's daughter says, "It takes a lot of courage to be the first one to kiss." It does...and it takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable to love. That is what a lot of the awkwardness was about as they expressed love to friends and family. I know that I have guarded my heart. What if I tell someone I love them, and they don't feel like that? Or what if they misinterpret my intentions? To open the heart may be the ultimate act of courage. As I walk to the precipice, I am choosing love because everyday is the last day of my life. What more do I have to do that is more important than be vulnerable?
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