NOT in the plan...

"Death and sickness are the two intruders who enter our lives, often uninvited. They can change everything in either an instant, or chip away at someone's life, inch by inch."

It has been a tough week for those of us who like the folks on Fox News or Fox Business News. Earlier in the week, it was reported that Brenda Buttner from Fox Business Channel had died in her fifties. Today, it was reported that Alan Colmes had passed away in his mid-sixties. And between those two sad announcements, it was reported that David Cassidy from the Partridge Family has developed dementia, also in his mid-sixties.

Why do I bring this up? I imagine that all of these folks did not choose this. I would bet that this time last year, they were plotting out the rest of their lives. Death or a debilitating sickness was not part of that planning. And that brings me to the core of the issue. It is good and wise to plan for the future. However, when given the opportunity to do something either from your bucket list, or outside of your bucket, do it sooner rather than later.

Death and sickness are the two intruders who enter our lives, often uninvited. They can change everything in either an instant, or chip away at a life, inch by inch. They are the destroyer of dreams, the changer of relationships, and the ender of an existence. They can announce themselves during a routine doctor's visit, having a prolonged sickness, or result in a sudden ending.

But the purpose of this article is not to be macabre. By all means, it is meant to be joyful and hopeful. We all know there is a omega to the alpha - we just don't know when. One of my wife's relatives was visiting us this past week. In a casual conversation, he mentioned he would like to live to be 100. And I hope he does. But the bottom line is this - he does not know when this fantastic journey called life will end. None of us to.

Bottom line - if you have a dream, and have the resources to chase that dream, do it now. Don't wait until tomorrow. Why? Tomorrow might never come. Or to repeat an old (and very wise) saying, "The past is gone, the future is not yet here, so live for the present. The present is a gift - that is why it is called the present."