It’s really true, isn’t it? Life does go by in the blink of an eye.
The last month has been a profound one for me.
I’ve experienced an array of life passage moments, covering a vast spectrum of emotions. And as I look back, yet again I’m in awe at the rainbow of meaningful moments which make-up my life.
In this short period of time, a dear friend’s daughter – a dynamic 40-year-old woman – has been diagnosed with breast cancer, had surgery and reconstruction, and completed her first of six rounds of chemotherapy.
I’ve seen her go through understandable fear, and then conjure-up amazing courage. She’s gone from “Why me?” to “Why not me?” Last week I had the honor of sitting with her in an Oncologist’s waiting room as she comforted and counseled another young woman who had just been diagnosed.
What I find most inspiring is that both my friend and her daughter took a spiritual attitude right from the outset. After the initial tears, their discussion turned to wondering what lessons God had in store for them during this journey. They manifested absolute certainty that opportunities to be of service to others would be forthcoming, and four weeks later, they’ve already been proven right countless times.
Are they experiencing a walk in the park? Of course not. But I’ve seen it with my own eyes: their faith and their positive attitude have definitely made the process easier, and they’re constantly side-stepping painful self-induced negativity.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, I’ve just started a four-week class of Kick-Boxing. I was scared to death – especially when I saw that I was the oldest person in a class filled primarily with twenty-somethings.
But even though I haven’t done consistent aerobic exercise in a long time, I guess the old adage is true: muscles have memory. Though I look like a comparative Old Guy next to these kids, for the most part I’m keeping up! At one point during the first class, I actually heard the instructor scream out over the music, “C’mon people – you’re slowing down! The new guy is kicking your ass!”
Sometimes life is really sweet.
I received an email from my pal George Shelby, the genius sax player who’s played on all my stuff. He’s currently on tour with a famous French artist named Johnny Hallyday. George sent me a link to a French t.v. station’s page, and I got to see some segments of one of their tour stops at Stade de France. Apparently they did three sold out nights, performing for over 80,000 people each night. If you wanna take a look, go to:
http://linfonetrealtv.free.fr/pages/resumes.php?numero=22&idcategories=3&idemission=14
And finally: you’re reading the first entry on my new blog…. which is on my new website that I’ve been working on for over a year… which features my new CD, plus all my other music and books and sheet music.
Which has been my dream for a long time… and it’s actually here.
Thank you, God.
Life does go by in the blink of any eye. But this month has reminded me again that we’re not meant to be only spectators. We can savor the good times and choose to embrace the challenges. We’ve got limitless opportunities open to us, if we’re just willing to grab ‘em.
Have a blessed day.
Jack