Over the past couple of weeks, I have been presented with death from all angles, as many of us have during this time.  I have been given previews of what it means to move on from this life.  I have found sadness, heartbreak, smiles of memories, cherished experiences, celebrations, love, and so much more.  However, this touch with life and death has made me understand and know every second counts.  We have this precious time to enjoy all these blessings given to us.  It has certainly made me realize I want to be present between that beginning and that end.  Living is hard, but it is precious.  We never know when that end will be, so we must caress every second!  This week evaluate your dots between the beginning and ending dates.  Let those dots be your celebration and your purpose for living!

Dots Between The Dates

Is this all that makes up life?

A beginning,

And an end.

With moments between.

Is there not more?

There are the big moments,

Like learning to walk or talk,

And then there are little ones like sleeping.

We are usually protected by family early in these times,

And our days of play go on forever.

New foods are experiments,

And all the senses are heightened.

All sorts of happenings begin to occur.

In the space and time we call life.

New friends are made.

A lot of learning builds in these moments.

These little spaces are filled with socializing and growing.

The next thing we know we are no longer depending on family.

Then we are not looked upon as a child anymore.

We are seen as an adult, and the days still seem so long.

You have been given all the time in the world.

Jobs present themselves giving you purpose.

And you find a love of your life,

Which brings a family with more hearts.

Then little by little the days shorten.

As the middle age approaches, the holidays start meeting each other.

Children grow to become their own persons.

Retirement seems to be at your fingertips.

Before you know it,

7 pm disappears

And 7 am reappears very quickly.

The day passes in a blink.

It is during these times that the darkness tries to beat you down.

Over and over and over.

Our only saving grace

Is for those that love us and lift us up.

You fight,

And get up cherishing the air in each of these spaces.

You are knocked down again,

To only get up and go again.

So here you are.

No time left.

Barely a moment for a goodbye.

Your seconds are gone.

This life appears to be so complicated.

But indeed it is very simple.

The space, time, and moments are up.

And your experience in this realm ends.

Those we have held and loved are left behind,

And we are sent toward our next space and time.

So—-love while you can.

Make every moment count.

Let your spirit hope.

Hope that one day you will find these loves again.

You can say yes there is more to life,

And I will make all the space, time, and moments count.

There is a beginning,

And there is an end.

And there are many memories, celebrations, and experiences between,

With all the love one can stand!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

My prayer this week is that your time will be used wisely.  I hope you can spend your moments on the many blessings we are given.  Thank you so much for being with me this week.  I respect your time, and I am so thankful you spend that time with me!  I will venture to the mountains next week to be with our son (making those dots count!), so please join me again in two weeks.  Now go out during this blessed Fall season and celebrate your time on those dots!!

Love,

Rennae

Journey