News of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan streams from every major news site. I stare in wide eyed horror at the image of a car surging through the watery streets and sweeping against buildings, debris, and other cars. I can’t help but wonder who that car belongs to. Probably someone who has the same hopes and fears that I do and who woke up to a normal Friday morning that turned into a terrifying nightmare by mid afternoon. Someone with loving friends and family who are now worried and waiting to hear if he or she is ok. (If you are trying to connect with friends or family in Japan, the Red Cross has set up a site to aid in this process.)

Once again, it takes a catastrophic event to remind me of life’s fragility. In these moments, all of the time I waste dissecting the mistakes of the past or obsessing about the uncertainties of the future seems so ridiculous. We are all living on borrowed time.

I think of the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky who at 85 shared the following words when asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again. (more…)