breathing to live: Say What You Need to Say

Say What You Need to Say says it all. You can say what you need to say about love, family, friends, work, colleagues, foes and so much more. So, I am going to say what I need to say about living and dying on the highway of life. I've spent all my life living, never giving much thought to dying. Living took up all my time, there was no time for reflections on dying.

Until January 2006, when my Dr. Beegle-not the dog beagle, though some people claim he looks like their beloved beagles, announced that I needed to get "my affairs" in order as my condition was fragile at best and he could not promise me anything. We all understand that life doesn't promise us anything in the back of our minds, but when you come face to face with the possibility of death, it becomes a reality on life's highway. So, when do you plan on stopping to live and start planning to die???? When does the mad dash to living become the mad dash to dying?

My mom recently saw the movie, Bucket List, and suggested I watch it as she identified one of our favorite places in the world, Eze, France. Even the band of U2 understands Eze's uniqueness and beauty as they all have homes there. If mom had asked me to do this a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to deal with the thought of dying . My mind couldn't take in the fact of dying as it became my daily reality-let alone my heart , soul and body not being able to deal with that inevitable closure of life as we know it. Finally, I also realized that in dying, you move on to another place and for each us, that may be a different place. But, nonetheless, we will all take another highway.

Well, we received the Bucket List and I watched as the story unfolded with the intention of focusing on a glimpse of my beloved treasure, Eze. But, I became involved in the lives of cantankerous, wealthy Edward, who was lacking all the important things in life-family, true friends, who like you for who you are and not what's in your pocketbook-wallet and then you have Carter. Carter's life is the opposite of Edward's . Carter had to give up on his dreams, his aspirations for a job that he knew he would love to support his growing family and in the end, discovers that his family is truly what his life is all about. He had love, kindness, caring children and grandchildren that loved him and a wife, despite the bumps that they had encountered on life's highway together over the years. He still had that same wife who firmly stood behind him as she always had. This was to be the biggest bump. A bump that can be faced with steadfast unconditional love. Ah, the essence of life. So, is that truly our reason for being?

Meanwhile, after almost completing their bucket wish list, Carter finally figures out what he truly needs-it is nothing that money can buy. He plans a reunion for his now friend, Edward, between him and his estranged daughter. Edward doesn't get the big lesson in life and withdraws from Carter as he is mad that his friend had the audacity to plan the reunion. But as we see in the end, through Carter's true friendship, Edward comes back to Carter, his daughter and low and behold, a beautiful granddaughter. It is enough to make you cry because you know there are people around you that you care about, but they just don't get the big picture. So, I repeat, Say What You Need to Say. And take a look at the spelling of friend and notice that you will find end. Yes, indeed, you have a friend until the end. It gives us a new dimension of friend.

As for me dying, I plan on living. So, for me my Bucket List is short and simple-live life to the fullest each and every day that God grants you.

I'll be seeing you and I dare you to Say What You Need to Say about the important things in your life.

Please listen to this song, written especially for Bucket List. Make your own list of what you would like to do in your lifetime, not with the thought of dying but living and go for it!!!! I'll be riding on your coat tails as I have a whole lot of living to do.