My wife Sharon and I have had several recent reminders how fleeting life can be and how blessed we are.
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We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
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Early in 2012 we lost my business partner (retired) and a cousin. My partner Rex was 76 and had enough health problems his death was no major surprise.
My cousin Carol was only 62 and in excellent health as far as anyone knew. This made her death much more of a shock to all of us.
A couple of weeks ago, Sharon’s sister’s 74 year-old husband Doug succumbed to a long history of heart trouble. Again, no major surprise.
Ten days after that death, Charlie, one of Sharon’s cousins, died at the age of 53. If we’d known more about his health, his death wouldn’t have been that big a surprise, but we didn’t, and his death came as another major shock.
Why do some die young while others don’t? While all these deaths were taking place, my 97 year-old mother just keeps on ticking, like the Energizer Bunny.
Who knows the why of all this? I certainly don’t. What I do know is you and I need to be thankful of whatever health and longevity we have. We need to take advantage of the opportunities God opens for us and not presume we can wait until tomorrow.
You’ve probably lost friends or loved ones, too. None of us have a guarantee of tomorrow, much less next year.
You probably also know people dealing with cancer, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, heart trouble and all sorts of other ills. The older you are, the more you’ll see your friends and loved ones battling these and other diseases.
Most of the people in my Sunday School class are older than we are, and most deal with one problem or another. Even some of the younger ones are dealing with things such as cancer, epilepsy and other such things.
When I think about the health conditions some people have to deal with, it makes my diabetes and heart trouble seem pretty minor—especially since both are kept under control by medication. I thank God daily for my health, among other blessings He has given me.
What experiences have you had dealing with ill health and death among your friends and loved ones? We’d love to hear from you.
For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
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David N Walker 
You’re right that we should not take our health for granted. It truly is a gift from God, and can change in the blinking of an eye.
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Amen, Sharon.
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Yes, David, the losses … sudden and otherwise…. certainly do remind us of how uncertain life is and how blessed we are to have the health that we do have. While neither you nor I are in Mom’s
“Energizer Bunny” league (as far as I know), we seem to be doing okay right now. And all loss … from illness, accidents, suicide, murder …. it is all hard to accept. Sometimes I say “Good grief” about something … and Joe replies that there is no good grief. I disagree … I think that grief, while painful, is a necessary part of life. Healing would not work without it. Anyway, thanks for a thoughtful post.
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I should probably seek you as an expert when it comes to grief, Barb. You’ve certainly had to deal with your share of it.
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I would love to comment, but I am trying to keep my mind on the positive and for those alive. I will always miss those who pass. We never know how long we have, so feel gratitude for the time we do have and focus on the positive.
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Good for you, Karlene. Stay focused on positives.
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I feel it’s critical to tap into a healthy culture. I been blessed to help people who really want to be proactive in their health get results. God made our bodies wonderfully. Yet, we don’t take care of our temple the way we should. People would rather see doctors and take medications rather than eat healthy, exercise, and supplement. True health is embracing the health of your spirit, your mind and your body. I see to much lip service and not enough prevention through a healthy lifestyle. My doctor friend said it best that medicine puts a bandaid on the symptom. It doesn’t cure the disease. The key is in health maintenance and prevention.
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Healthy eating and such is important, Gina, but many of us have health conditions that require treatment that eating carrots or something will not cure. We must take medications to address those conditions.
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