It is crucial to be mindful of death. I strongly urge everyone to be aware that we are not in this life for very long. If you are lucky you may see 75 and if you are really lucky you may see 85 and if you are wonderfully blessed you may see 95 and any thing above that you are living on somebody else’s time.  

My discussion of death is not to make you fearful but to encourage you to appreciate the precious time you have on earth which in my opinion is very short even if you live to be 100 considering the billions of years which past before you and eventually will past after your demise. We have to face the hard cold truth that a place to stay untouched by death does not exist. We all are going to die in the sense of living as we are in this present world. 

My observation of some people leads me to believe that they think that they will live forever. They are greedy and self centered. Once you accept the fact that you will not live forever you will become more compassionate and far less greedy. Why? You realize that you can’t take it with you. Have any of you ever seen a u-haul following a hearse? 

So get out your pen and pencil. If you are 50 years old, you should eliminate any vice that you may have and you may have another 35 years. If you are 60 years old, you should be very mindful of your diet and exercise routine and you may have another 25 years. If you are 70 years old you should start thinking about your legacy and start contacting old friends and family members that you have not spoken with in a long time and you can expect to have another 15 years. If you are 80 you should make certain that all grudges are gone and start traveling as much as possible and you may have another 5 years. So by now you are probably asking who would want to live to be 86, someone who is 85. We are never ready to go, but go we must. Be careful with your time and make each moment worthwhile because another day is passing.

 In the words of my dad, “You must honor the chair whether it is sitting, walking or lying down.”