This week I attended a memorial service for a 34 year old man. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father of 3, and a friend to many. There were complications from what should have been an out patient routine surgery. Why do things like this happen? Why has my best friend buried 2 of her 4 children? Why did my 6 month old niece go to bed with sniffles almost 30 years ago and die during the night of a fast acting pneumonia? Why did my friend lose her 6 yr old son to a brain stem tumor. There are no answers to these questions, on this side of eternity anyway. The Bible tells us that our days are numbered, and that in itself should give us pause to evaluate where we are in life. And to those who do not believe in God or heaven, you still know that one day, when you least expect, you will kiss this world goodbye. December 9^th of last year, I was given a second chance at life. The odds of surviving were against me, but each day since is a gift. At the memorial service this week, I watched a family in pain. Everyone who loved this man had a broken heart and many tears were shed. But they knew he also had loved them, and to my knowledge there were no big regrets or things left unsaid. I left there determined to love my family, friends and those I come in contact with each day to know without a doubt that they have all left an imprint on my life. I do not want my last breath to have any regrets of not having said what I want to. I want my children to pause and think about if that would have been their sibling in the casket, would there be regret? I want my friends to ponder this thought with their own families, their friends, siblings. What petty things have come between us, what gossip has been shared, what pride has kept us from making the first move of reconciliation? These are the kind of questions we CAN find answers to. And these are the burdens we can release from ourselves and others. Two things we know for sure in this life, a time to be born and a time to die. Love each other fiercely, put pettiness aside, forgive even if the offender has not repented or asked for it. Life is short. Let’s make it as sweet as we can.