it's all about time

I visited a friend last Friday. She had stage I breast cancer. The first thing that came to mind when I learned about it were her kids. What would happen to them when the time comes.

Despite the fact that she had no hair, she just had her 4th chemo, to anyone who can see she was her usual self. Chatty and bubbly and very much together. But being a mother myself I can see behind the lively exterior. She was afraid. I can see it in her eyes, it was in the way it strays to her youngest child as he walked back and forth in the living room. I asked how she was holding on, she said, "kaya ko to!" (I can do this!). But I can hear her heart crying as she wondered how much time she had left before something happened to her. There was fear in her heart and it was eating her alive.

The ride home was silent, both my husband and I were lost in our own thoughts. I could not help but put myself in her shoes. What if I had just a few years or months to live? What would I do? I thought about the kids, I had so many plans for them. Who will take care of them? What would happen to them? How will they remember me? Just thinking about it made me feel sad.

If I had a few months to live I would make sure that I would spend every second loving my family and making sure that they know how important they are to me. I would not waste my time over trivial things and make the most of every day. And I would love and take care of the people I love until the last breath left my body.

Here's a quote from the bible:

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Maya Angelou says, "this is my life. it is my one time to be me. i want to experience every good thing." As we go through life sometimes it's not always good to look towards the end all the time, instead concentrate on all the beginnings that way we can linger and enjoy the bounty of good things our Creator has laid down for us.