60 Minutes

What if you found yourself in a situation where you only had 60 minutes to live. What would you do? Would you panic and spend the majority of the 60 minutes freaking out? Or would you be able to pull yourself together and make the last 60 minutes of your life the most meaningful?

Truth be told, most of us will never know when the last hour of of our life will be. That is a good thing and a bad thing. It's a good thing because we won't ever have to deal with such an overwhelming thought as that. But it is also a bad thing because I have to imagine, unless we all are living each and every day like its our last and living them to our fullest, there are things that slip through the cracks.

Thank you notes don't get written when they should. In fact, I still haven't written mine from Christmas yet. Not that you would want to spend your last 60 minutes writing thank you notes, but maybe if you knew you were about to kick the bucket, you might take a minute to call someone and give them an over due "Thank You" instead of putting it off like I have been doing.

I asked my manager Mr. Bricks, what would he do if he knew he only had 60 minutes left of his life? He gave me one of his little smirks and said, "I'd go to the Piggly Wiggly and buy some Life Savers."  Ok Mr. Smarty Pants.

Many people spend their life kicking and scratching their way through life, without really living. They forget that life is not a destination it is a journey. For me, doing a kind gesture for another person is a far greater rush than almost anything I can do. Also telling someone I care about them and they are important to me is something I am not willing to wait until the last 60 minutes of my life to do.  I try to do that as often as I can.

I grew up in a fairly big Greek family. We were open with our love (and hate) for each other.  I think it is really sad when I hear a story about someone's friend or family member dying unexpectantly and now they are all filled with grief because they never told them how much they loved them.  I have a big Greek mouth and I let those I love and care for know it. It's just how I do things. Folks, we're not going to get a 60 minute warning to make everything right! As Nike says, Just do it! As the Greek Blonde Girls says, Just do it now!

There is something fun that I like to do from time to time. You might think it is a little macabre, but my intentions are far from that. There are times I do think to myself, if I only had  60 minutes left on this planet, who would I want to talk to and what would I want to accomplish? That's when I might pick up the phone and call a girl friend from high school who I haven't spoken to in a long time. Or maybe call my Mom and just remind her how much I love and appreciate her or maybe i'd splurge and eat two pieces of chocolate (that can't kill me...at this point in my mind I've already got one foot in the grave)  or maybe even go shopping and go out with a smile and a Kohl's charge card in my hand. Hey, it's my own imaginary last 60 minutes I can do whatever I want!

Hmmm, this little exercise will now make me think twice about ever saying the phrase..."Oh those sneakers are to die for!" - just sayin'

Blessings,

Ava

xox