More food for thought

I am a great fan of Morning Edition on NPR (National Public Radio). It seems just about every morning I find myself sitting in the parking deck, not wanting to turn the car off because I want to hear the rest of an interview or a news piece or heck, even the sports! I would have never called myself a sports fan, but have you ever heard Frank Deford's commentary? It's wonderful, HE is wonderful and he is proof that a good writer can make you enjoy almost anything, even sports. But back to my point... This morning there was a beautiful piece on Leroy Siever (former journalist for NPR) who is living with Cancer. A little over a year ago he started a conversation with this sentence... Death and I are hardly strangers. He caught my attention, and I sat mesmerized by this man's interview in my car on the third floor of the parking deck. On the heals of "taking your life temperature", I found his words so uplifting, and he is dying of cancer! If you get just a moment in your busy schedule, take a peek at his blog, very nice writing, even if you don't like the subject. And Ted Koppel has a documentary, Living with Cancer, airing on the Discovery Channel May 6th at 8pm that looks like it would be worth watching if you're home. His message was so simple. When asked "when you learned of your diagnosis, was there anything you wanted to run right out and do, or at least think about?" He said "there really wasn't". There were many survivors speaking their own words on their feelings about living with cancer and they all had the same message... Live, really live. They said that the diagnosis has made them so aware of the beauty of the simple things. I got out of my car and made a point to really feel the chill that was in the air, I walked just a bit slower so that I may enjoy the sun that shown this morning, and when I picked up my children today, I nuzzled my face in Cooper's neck and stopped to really feel his soft skin on my lips and cheek and I didn't wipe Duncan's sloppy kiss of my face, but instead smiled to myself at the sweetness of it. I won't kid myself that I am living and experiencing life through the eyes of one who knows their days are numbered, but then again, they are aren't they? Maybe I have more days then they do, maybe not. But whether it's Joshua Bell before breakfast or a deadly diagnosis, I wish for myself and all of you moments that we will remember and cherish. Be it the concert pianist or just the commute to work, remember these are moments that make up the days that make up our lives. Have a memorable weekend everyone.