‘Days are long, but years are short’

Published 10:50 am Thursday, April 19, 2018

recently crossed paths with a few people and instances in life that reminded me of the one thing we all usually forget as we run here and there in our crazy every day lives. Pausing every so briefly from time to time, only one thing is certain to typically get us to stop dead in our tracks.

Mortality.

That moment when we are reminded that life is a precious gift, and we should all be so lucky to live a long and prosperous one.

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I am no stranger to this encounter having already had to say goodbye to many loved ones throughout the years. Between the ages of 15-17, I lost my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and great-grandparents. By the time I was 19, I had lost my other grandmother and one grandpa. I learned early on how important life is, and how it can be stolen like a thief in the night, which is why it is always important to enjoy and let the little things go.

There is a quote that reads, “the days are long, but the years are short.”

When I look back on my life, that quote weighs heavy on my heart. For even just the few years my children were babies the days of crying and holding a child 24/7 in my arms seemed endless. Although now they are but a dream from my past, only to be remembered in pictures or home videos and gone so quickly proving that quote perfectly. The days may seem long as we labor through them, although the years fly by in a blink of an eye.

In life, we all meet others from time to time that gently reminds us of how lucky we are to be able to open our eyes in the morning and greet a new day. We cross paths with people who make us go home and hug our children a little tighter, or make sure and say, “I love you” a little more to those who surround us.

This week was no different, as my work crossed paths and I told stories that made me more in touch with my own mortality.

Throughout my life, I have been criticized from time to time for my free spirit. I am not saying I have not had my fair share of worry and stress. For example, if I thought I had bad times before the last two years certainly proved me wrong and put life in perspective.

However, I always tend to look at the glass half full and tend to think “pessimism” is a four-letter word better left out of my daily routine.

There is a saying that goes, “we worry about tomorrow like it is promised.” A statement sure to make us all stop and think about how precious life truly is, and how important it is to live it to the fullest.

As I have done this week, I urge everyone who is reading this to take a moment and hug your loved ones a little tighter. For even though I do believe in my good Lord’s protection, I know it still doesn’t hurt to pause and remember our own mortality and how important and blessed we are to wake up every morning and be given the gift of life.

Brittany Fuller is the community editor of The Jessamine Journal and Jessamine Life magazine. She can be reached at brittany.fuller@jessaminejournal.com.