Saturday, August 23, 2003
MORTALITY
As a kid, I thought I was invincible. And most of us did too. I used to ride my bike down my hill (in Montebello) with no hands on the handlebars, full speed, without a helmet or other protective gear that are now required. One time, I fell forward and scraped up my whole face. One time, I broke my two front teeth. And even my sister got into the act, falling forward onto her teeth, chipping her front two teeth and pushing them up and into her mouth (requiring more than a few hours and a few return visits to the dentist).
But now that I'm a little older, I'm coming to grips with my mortality. And not just mine but also my parents (both sets). Both fathers have gone through some health issues recently and it's been ever-present in my mind that one day, they will not be with us. It's a scary thought and it's got me wanting to spend extra time with both of them (maybe a Dodgers v. Giants game or just having dinner to shoot the breeze).
But the truth is this, even though this is a cheesy cliche and slightly morbid, we should be interacting with people and loving/caring for them like it's the last time we're ever going to see them. Because who knows? It just might be.
As a kid, I thought I was invincible. And most of us did too. I used to ride my bike down my hill (in Montebello) with no hands on the handlebars, full speed, without a helmet or other protective gear that are now required. One time, I fell forward and scraped up my whole face. One time, I broke my two front teeth. And even my sister got into the act, falling forward onto her teeth, chipping her front two teeth and pushing them up and into her mouth (requiring more than a few hours and a few return visits to the dentist).
But now that I'm a little older, I'm coming to grips with my mortality. And not just mine but also my parents (both sets). Both fathers have gone through some health issues recently and it's been ever-present in my mind that one day, they will not be with us. It's a scary thought and it's got me wanting to spend extra time with both of them (maybe a Dodgers v. Giants game or just having dinner to shoot the breeze).
But the truth is this, even though this is a cheesy cliche and slightly morbid, we should be interacting with people and loving/caring for them like it's the last time we're ever going to see them. Because who knows? It just might be.
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