...and sweet, precious time.

The other day I was driving down the road to work, as I do every day, and I was tuned into the country music station. I know, for some of y'all that means only one thing: R-U-N-N-O-F-T. Fine, you go right on ahead and do that. For those of you with stronger constitutions, I'm glad you're sticking around.

I heard a new song by Tim McGraw: "Live Like You Were Dying", and boy, it hit me. Hard, low and fast.

The song starts out as any lovely almost-melancholy country song does... slowly, with purpose. Almost sounding like it's going to be about a failed relationship, when it's really about a couple of friends sitting around and talking.

He said I was in my early forties
With a lot of life before me
When a moment came that stopped me on a dime
And I spent most of the next days
Looking at the x-rays
Talking bout the options
And talking bout sweet time
I asked him when it sank in
That this might really be the real end
How's it hit you when you get that kinda news
Man, what'd you do...

What do you do? I don't think that I could face that day if I ever got a sentence like that. I was instantly saddened by the fate of the fictitious individual in the song, and instantly and briefly pondered what my own reaction would be.

I don't know that it would be the reaction of the person in the song.

...and he said
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying.

Live every moment as if it were your last. How many people actually attempt to do that? Not many, I'd gather. In fact, I think a great lot of people would chalk that up to "living fast and dying young". I don't agree. If you enjoy the moments that you're living in at the time that they're occurring, then that's exactly what you're doing - you're enjoying your life.

He said I was finally the husband
That most the time I wasn't
And I became a friend a friend would like to have
And all the sudden going fishin
Wasn't such an imposition
And I went three times that year I lost my dad
Well, I finally read the good book
And I took a good long hard look
At what I'd do if I could do it all again...

I listened to that, and started thinking about all the people in my life that I've held grudges with, or didn't spend enough time with, or simply just told them that I appreciate them.

I still have grudges... some hurts are just too old and too ingrained to get past.

I still don't spend enough time with some people, either speaking with them or spending time with them - and I should fix that.

And for anyone I haven't told lately that I appreciate them as a friend... I *do* appreciate you. And I may not say it out loud (or online) because I just haven't found the right time to insert it into a conversation. But when you think about it, there's never a "right time" for anything, unless you make it the right time.

...And then
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying.

Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about
What'd you do with it...
What did you do with it?
What did I do with it?
What would I do with it?

So... what would *you* do with it? Living it all over again? A co-worker and I recently pondered the fact that no one, when they're on their deathbed, ever wishes that they spent more time at work. I certainly wouldn't. I bet, even with the time that I do spend (and will spend) that I'll think I needed to spend more time with my family.

Lyrics captured from Hit Country Lyrics which will also play the song when you arrive at the page.