Day 27 - Tomorrows

We all think there will be a tomorrow, but for many of those in intensive care units today, there will be no more tomorrows.

A few weeks ago, many of them didn’t have a care in the world. They believed that their lives were invincible and that they could overcome anything sent against them. With that false certainty, they might have put off so many of the things which, if given time, they would have ensured would have happened.

On that list, few would care much about cleaning their house or paying the last bill. What they would have desired most of all would be to do or say something that might make an eternal difference to another or to the world. They would have wanted to leave a legacy to others that they would be proud of.

Those legacies might, if one has been fortunate to be blessed with money, have been financial. However, for many that sort of legacy would be an impossibility. Instead, we can choose to leave behind words of life or words of death.

There might be someone who has wronged us or who we have wronged. Can we find it in our heart now to reach out to them at this time and heal relationships? There might be others who have been hurt by all the things we never did for them. These are the ones we overlooked, ignored or forgot about. Maybe we have an elderly neighbour who we pass in the street without acknowledging or a homeless man or woman on the corner who we have never been able to find compassion for. These are people who may not have many more tomorrows. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could die with your words of love and life, tenderness and care ringing in their ears?

Many are going to have deep and terrible regrets after this time, because all that they meant to do or say to another never got spoken. There will be many ‘if onlys’. If only I had done this or said that. Many will be unable to embrace peace and acceptance for a long time because of these deeply held regrets.

None of us know how many tomorrows we might have. We have the time and space now to mend bridges, reach out to others and leave others with a legacy which only we can bring them. We don’t know if next week we might be in an intensive care bed, for life is short and fragile. All we can hope to do is to clear our debts to those who have loved us but who we have never had time to love in the way they deserve.

We may never get another opportunity to bless them.

Thinking of friends and family, who do you have a broken relationship with? If they were to die tomorrow, is there anything you wish you had told them or asked of them or from them? Who would those people be and what would those things be?

If you were to die tomorrow, what unfinished business could you still do today, in order that you die in peace?