Reflections

This past weekend my husband and I went to San Francisco to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. We had a very special evening planned at a restaurant in Sausalito, where we planned to watch the sun set on the city from across the bay.

We set out for the restaurant and were headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge when we saw fire trucks ahead. As the merging traffic slowed us down a little bit I looked to see what the problem was. On the sidewalk, next to a car, was man lying on his back with his shirt open. He was surrounded by paramedics and worried shopkeepers were standing around watching. They were trying to shock him back to life with that machine you see on T.V. all the time.

You could tell from the faces of the people watching that it wasn't working. One of the paramedics even stood up and turned away.

But here's the thing that really struck me....the passenger car door was open, but the seat was empty. In the back seat of the vehicle there was an old lady, presumably the wife of the man on the sidewalk, and she was watching the scene through the window of the vehicle. She was obviously distressed, and there was a younger woman with her rubbing her back and trying to comfort her.

This woman had probably been married to this man for 50 years or more and at the last moments of their lives together she was separated from him by a glass barrier...unable even to hold his hand or touch his head. And I started to think of what that must be like...and how she would re-run that moment in her head over and over and over in the days and years ahead.

Meanwhile, the traffic kept flowing. We went to our restaurant. All of the other people went to whatever destination they were headed. We watched the sun set on the skyline of San Francisco. The world went on.

It is not the first time that I have been reminded that LIFE IS SHORT and that my troubles are really small ones, in the big picture of things. It was a reminder to enjoy each day that God has given me and to find joy, even in the small things of life. Things can change in a MOMENT and tomorrow could be waaaaaaay different from today.

I am grateful for this day. I am grateful for my life. I am going to work at making this day matter.