An Update From The Kitchen

Well, it's been another one of those weeks. An eye opener for sure. One of those where the urgency of life gets ramped up a bit. If you know me and have followed this blog at all, you know I periodically get reflective and introspective. This is almost always spurred by the death of either a friend or a famous person, or, on a bad week a couple of famous people.

This was one of those weeks. Today I got word that the brother of a friend from the old neighborhood passed away. Truthfully, I'd only met the gentleman once, and ironically enough it was at a funeral for another close friend's mother. He seemed like a nice guy and was right around my age.

The other death this week was Merle Haggard. One of country musics biggest stars. I never knew much of his music, but when I was in Nashville, many of the groups I saw kept playing his music. He is one of the guys that were huge when I was growing up and somehow it just kind of hit me.

Then, last night, Donna had gone up to bed to read and Ben was up studying. As I was turning out the lights downstairs, I started thinking about how empty this house is going to be when Ben moves out. And I thought about how many memories are held within these walls. Memories of those tiny bodies dancing in the living room. It made me wistful and sad.

So I can't emphasize enough how important it is to:

Nashville, TN

• Tell the family you live with and see everyday that you love them. Everyday.
• Forgive people and shed your anger baggage.
• Dance to the radio in the kitchen
• Take care of yourself, but also
• Eat too much ice cream once in a while
• Take that spontaneous trip to Nashville or (fill-in-the-blank). You'll never forget it.
• Listen to the J. Geils Band LOUD
• Hug your kids. Laugh with them.
• Vote! 
• Work hard, like you're paying yourself.
• Over tip that good waitperson.
• Read the classics, or contemporary, or local, or poetry or the back of a cereal box, but READ!
• Pay somebody's coffee forward at work.
• Create something. Journal, paint, sing, play, build, architect, design, cook, brew, sculpt. It is an expression of yourself that wants to be released and will make you a better person.
• Lose some weight - get in shape. You'll feel better and live longer, God willing.
• Sing when you're alone.
• Pray often and hard
• Have coffee or lunch with that old friend.
• Laugh at stupid cat videos. 
• Grow those dreads, shave your head, color your hair, join a book club.

I don't mean to preach, it's just that life is way too short to waste. Only you can make it into what it could be. Leave a good story behind. I have to go now, because the radio's on in the kitchen.

Blogging off...