While We Can

It was a Saturday morning much like this one, four years ago.  Except that on that particular Saturday Brandon, Steph and AJ were here visiting for the weekend.  I love weekends like that, with family around.  They happen much too seldom, but that's a subject for another day.

On that particular Saturday morning, four years ago, I got "the phone call".  The one I had been dreading but knew would one day come.  The one that told me that, at age 88, my beloved Daddy had gone to be with Jesus.

In many ways, that seems very long ago.  Yet the memory of that day is as vivid as if it had just happened this morning.  And although I've grown accustomed to his being gone, I still miss him so much!

How I would love one more hug, one more conversation, one more visit, one more surprise phone call - just because!  How I miss the twinkle in his eye, his sense of humor, his laugh.  And how I miss those more serious conversations.  About the Scriptures.  About politics.  About life.

How I would love to hear that voice just once more say "Top o' the mornin' to ya!"

I wouldn't even mind hearing that same joke I've heard hundreds of times......just one more time! "Have I told you the one about......", he would say.  "Tell me again", I would say.

His passing was sudden and unexpected.  Well, I suppose not completely unexpected, since he was 88 years old!  But certainly not expected on that particular day......June 13, 2009.

I think that's a reminder to live each day to its fullest, because we never know when it's time to go.  And it's a reminder to love our family and friends - and to let them know how much they are loved - because we never know when it's time for them to go.

 

We must love them while we can, we must love them while we can,

For time just seems to hurry by, and the days slip into years

And the moments that we have will disappear,

So love them while we can.

(-Chris Christian)