The Last Morning

written August 9, 2009

When you woke up this morning, what did you think of first? Did your alarm go off? Did you want to hit the snooze button and stay in bed? Maybe you looked out the window to see a bright sunrise, or a dreary rainy day. Perhaps you rolled your eyes and thought about how much work you have to do. Many of us shower, brush our teeth, get dressed, and eat a quick breakfast before heading out to work, or school. You may say a goodbye to your family, or you may wake up in an empty apartment.

Here's the real wake up call. For a quarter million humans, today will be the last day of their life. This very morning, will be the last they ever have. Except for a small few, most are unaware that they won't see the next sunrise. We just assume that by 6pm a warm dinner with the family awaits. For soldiers, the terminally ill, or injured, the sense of urgency resonates ever so loud. They know that life is a matter if minutes and hours, but for the rest of us, we assume we have all the time in the world.

Rather than focusing on the end, let's focusing on the beginning. Before our last day ends, how do we approach the start? Each of our lives is a story book, but since we are not the authors, we do not know when the story ends. Do we wake up with the urgency that our chapter may come to a close today? Most of us know the quote "Live like today was the last day of your life". Would the 250,000 people who never saw 11:59pm on August 9, 2009 agree that they lived their last day to the fullest?

I think of people I knew in highschool and college who are no longer here. Tara Felicetti(18), Tom Guaraldo(28), Jared Neville(22), Chris Graham(20), Mianna Stewart(14),...the list goes on. Two were killed in car accidents, one of a mugging, and another of a rare disease. Not a single person over the age of 30. If they could relive the moment they woke up on that last day, what do you think they would change? But, we have no time machines, no voice to the past. Yet, we are here and our choices remain undecided.

I ask you this. When you wake up tommorow, will you resist the urge to complain that the office is out of coffee creamer? Will I? What if it is raining and you get caught in traffic? I think back to the movie Groundhog Day. I think when we wake up in the morning we should take in a big breath of air. Just breath. We should think to ourselves " I am still here. I have been granted the gift of one more day of life." When I make toast for breakfast yet again, I will delight in the small miracles of toast. It's crunchy, I can put stuff on it, and man it's awesome to be able to eat food. Will I watch the sun set and allow my eyes to absorb the splendor of colors and clouds? Will I be grateful for the moment, the knowledge of being, and find fulfillment in one more place in time. Think of the people you work with, your friends, and especially your family. What would be the last thing you say to them?

When you wake up tommorow, finding miracles should be as easy as opening your eyes.