Every minute someone leaves this world behind.
We are all in “THE LINE” without knowing it.
We never can know how many people are before us.
We can not move to the back of the line.
We can not step out of the line.
We can not avoid the line.

So while we wait in the line–

Make moments count.
Make priorities.
Make the time.
Make your gifts known.
Make a nobody feel like a somebody.
Make your voice heard.
Make the small things big.
Make someone smile.
Make the change.
Make love.
Make up.
Make peace.
Make sure to tell your people they are loved.
Make sure to have no regrets.
Make sure you are ready.

It’s never so much about what you read

so much as when you read it.          .          .

I’ve read this before and I thought it was great

but when I read it
R  E  A  L L  Y
saw and read it
again yesterday
(though I see it nearly everyday)

It took on a different tone
a way different meaning

after finding out about the COVID death of a friend
and then in a
THUNDEROUS
snap-of-the-finger-quickness
it  was

personal
profound
prominent

I’m a day away from my 26th anniversary this October 31 of doing hospice work
or more
Hospice work doing me
and out of all of the daily lessons and affirmations
one of the biggest take-aways:

GOOD, BAD, RICH, POOR, BLACK/WHITE, HETEROSEXUAL/LGBTQ, YOUNG/OLD, RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL/AGNOSTIC,ATHEISTS, REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT/INDEPENDENTS 

and yes,  even

HOSPICE Staff and their Families

are not exempt from–

are actually each born with a

terminal sexually transmitted disease

 called

L          I          F          E

It’s not a lie

but a truth

we’ve never been able to eliminate or soften it

no matter what the unanswerable’s
of the

why
what-for
how-come’s
of it all
.       .       .all made all the more horrible by

that   gives

G                    R                    I                    E                    F

its ultimate power and authority

THE   ANSWER

may not be so much the Buddhist

shrug-of-the-shoulder:

“BEFORE ENLIGHTENMENT, CHOP WOOD AND CARRY WATER
  AFTER   ENLIGHTENMENT, CHOP WOOD AND CARRY WATER”

So much as

The antidote and the Porcupine of Grief:

L                  O                  V                  E

If  in  the  end

DEATH

is inevitable

make sure

L  O  V  E

is  inescapable

as we take our place

IN  LINE

Psssssssssssssssssssssst   of   the   DAY:

. . .SO LIVE
live on

Monday mornings are like that–BUSY–Especially In Line at Starbucks.

They came in right after me. Chase was looked like he was 3 or 4 and Estella looked like she was 6. She was quiet but Chase made Expresso nervous.

It looked like mom just wanted to get in and out of there. I ordered my drink and I was paying for it I saw her trying to shuffle through her purse and then her wallet and I added, “And whatever they want.”

Mom was a little stunned.

I said, “No, really. Is it ok if I buy the kids a couple of cake pops and your drink?”

She wasn’t a good Receiver. She tried to jam some money into my side pocket and I said, “Hey, let me be a little selfish. It’s really good doing nice things….”

She thanked me and then Chase piped up, “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Chuck. What’s yours?”

“Chase. You know, I have a truck named, Chuck,” he added.

“Now that’s Amazing…you treat ‘Chuck’ real good and enjoy your cake pops.”

Mom didn’t have to admonish them to say, “Thank-you.” They both said it on cue as I tipped my cup of coffee to them in a salute/good-bye gesture.

F A S T
F O R W A R D

About two and a half days later, I was putting olives in my shopping cart and I heard, “HEY!!! There’s Chuck!”

Chase, Estella and their mom were coming down the PICKLE aisle opposite me.

“Hey, how did you remember me,” I asked?

…and here it came…the Zillion-dollar answer:

“BECAUSE YOU ARE A NICE MAN.”

Amazing, huh?

Just because I was IN LINE. . .I was in line in more way than one.

…and acted it on it.

Now who’s not a good RECEIVER?