One Last Summer...

Today as I have done often in the past while, I woke up and saw sunshine and thought what a beautiful day for a walk. So I put a menthol patch on my ankle and wrapped it, Grabbed my Walkman and my watch and headed out. As I went on the back street I saw a neighbor lady I have spoken two probably a few dozen times over the last ten years of living in this neighborhood. I always liked her and her husband. They were friendly and seemed very happy. Her little dog ran out to the road to great me as she has many times before. I bent down and petted her head and scratched her back. The woman walked down her drive to where I was at. As she spoke she mentioned how much she missed Jim. I said wait that is your husband right. She was surprised I didn't know that her husband had passed away on January 8Th. She said she thought the whole neighborhood knew. She then went on to tell me how in December 2007 her husband had gotten what he thought was a cold. He coughed and coughed. Shortly after Christmas he went to the doctors with what he thought was a case of pneumonia to find out he had lung cancer stage 4. He had never smoked a day in his life and none of the jobs he had in all his years of work lead to any clues as to why this otherwise healthy man had lung cancer. As I stood and talked to her I said but he looked so healthy and vibrant last summer. She agreed he did. He didn't go down hill until the fall when he started Chemo. She said she would never suggest that treatment to anyone. He had been given eighteen months to live when he found out he had cancer. I can't figure out if they knew he was terminal why they would give him such a radical treatment, but then I wasn't part of the process either. He lived twelve months and two weeks roughly after having been given his diagnosis. I went on with my walk a little bothered. Remembering his smile. Remembering him throwing up his hand from his truck. All that kept going through my mind was how would I choose to live my last summer if I knew there wouldn't be another. This man probably knew it was his last. Do you think he savored every moment? I suggest we all enjoy this summer. I plan to get in as much family and friend time as possible. I plan to make the most of it and I challenge each and every one of you to do the same. None of us ever know if it's going to be our last. We are not promised a tomorrow let alone another summer. So savor this one, for you never know if it's that one last summer.