The Future is Now
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“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone Else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs
As I pondered this quote from the late Steve Jobs, I took quite a bit of solace and inspiration from it. As a caregiver, you freely give your life to someone else while being mindful of your own individuality and needs. As The Little One heads into his final four days of radiation 
treatments, our lives are changing before our eyes. We can’t predict the future, we can only deal with the present. We intend to live our lives to the fullest and enjoy each and every day we have.
The key here is not to wait until there is a serious illness to have this revelation. We have been fortunate to have followed our heart and intuition since we became friends. While our life is different because of the illness, the illness will not control our lives.
While completing my internship in Hospice a few years ago, I was often observed families who were trying to resolve life long issues at the ’11th’ hour. We all know that is an impossible task, yet understandable under the circumstances. We can’t fix the past, yet we should not live in it either. We can live today and search for tomorrow; that is what life and hope is all about. Or as Steve Job’s put it…”Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
So, so true. I read Jobs’ quote and was quite taken…with the position he had taken…after learning of his declining health issues. You take each day as a unique opportunity to LIVE. Nothing else matters.
Bravo! I agree 100%