All last year I watched in admiration as a friend underwent serious surgery and fought to regain general mobility and specifically the use of her arm. All her friends marvelled at her tenacity and courage. Every time I saw her, we discussed how she was progressing and what new achievements she had accomplished. We laughed and hugged and aimed to remain very positive.
Last November, I saw her in the distance at a meeting but, unusually, I didn’t get to speak to her or share our usual long, warm, hug. It was a busy afternoon and there were lots of people requiring attention and it was only when I saw my friend disappearing out the door that I realised that, for once, I had missed her. My first instinct was to run after her and give her a big hug… but then, I have been experiencing problems with arthritis in my knee again this winter and realised that attempting to ‘run’ anywhere probably wasn’t such a good idea. After all, when I next saw her I would be able to give her a double hug and no damage done.
I never did see my friend again. She quickly became ill, was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with stage four cancer which had somehow managed to slip beneath the radar of all her other treatments and procedures.
She died in February.
The moral of this little story is obvious. Never put off ’til tomorrow what you can do today. In other words, don’t hold back… do it NOW! Give your hugs and love freely and generously – tell your dear ones how much you love them and convey it with your warm and welcoming embraces – or in any other way you can think of.
We can’t live every day as if it was our last, but we can fill every day with joy and gratitude for what we have in the here and now, and share our positive emotions with those we care about.
Think about it… with my love.
