A 37 year old mother of two walks into Penn Station and collapses. Her heart stops beating and although she is revived by paramedics, she never comes out of the coma. This otherwise healthy mom passes away six weeks later, a day before Rosh Hashana
I did not know this lady personally- she was a friend of a friend but her tragic story has been constantly on my mind. In a moment her world and that of her family changed forever. We hear about so many tragedies. I can only assume there is a message in these stories that we are supposed to receive. The automatic question that we ask is “why”? There is of course no answer, no “why”. Maybe we can move past the “why” and focus on the “what”. For me the “what” is that you only live once and life has no guarantees so really LIVE……and live a meaningful life
Last night, I was having drinks with a friend who is going through a messy divorce. He said “I was so busy checking off the mundane boxes that I forgot to check the important boxes.” Yes he was checking the boxes – buy property, pay mortgage, new cars, trips, live up to the Jones’s (or Cohen’s). But he forgot those checks closest to him – his wife and family.
I often think about what I would do if I won a mega lottery tomorrow. What would I care about? Where and what would I spend the money. It’s a great tool to help one prioritize and make decisions. It forces one to re-order and re-focus
Moms, it’s the day after the Jewish New year. Use this moment to reflect and ask hard questions. If this was your last day in the world have you lived your life to its fullest? What would you change? And then take a deep breath of precious life and live your life like you know you should.
Originally published: September 20, 2012
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