We all want “enough” time- to love our family and friends, to have a meaningful life, to contribute, to teach and guide, to help others in their journey, to appreciate the fruits of labors and see benefit of our engagements. It’s what we are fighting for everyday here. When patients ask,”How much longer?” It is not how many more radiation treatments or chemo sessions. It’s time. Rarely do we really know the answer. We have heard, “Live each day as if it is your last‘. That only applies to doing your best and leaving it all on the field each day. Instead, may I suggest that we envision a very long, fulfilling time with a more exciting perspective?

My Dad would have been 100 years old today. he was a blessing to our family for 91 years. In his latter years, he marveled that life kept unfolding for him. “Joanne, I did not expect to live past my 50’s.” His mother died when he was 13. He lived through the great depression, WWII, a physically demanding work life, caring for family and friends, health battles and cancer in his 70’s, even several careers after he “retired”. He was a tremendous, loving and devoted force. A lesson is that we often have no idea how life will evolve. What looks tragic, heartbreaking or challenging , may have little impact years from now. This leads us to rephrase the sentiment, “Live today as if you will live forever”. In that case, you may need to save more (!). You may also find that you nurture friendships longer, you study and learn for the future, you invest in others, you enrich your life with more interesting plans, you believe in more possibilities.

There is no way my father anticipated living into his 90’s. He delivered 100%- 100% of the time and somehow, he was blessed with more and more people to inspire and influence in his honest, often comical, authentic way. What is left after almost a century of valuable goodness? A remembrance of love, caring, strength he provided. Isn’t that what we all want? Not to be remembered for what we did, or accumulated or even built, but for our personal impact and influence over the years.

I am proud of my father who in 100 years, still lives as an outstanding example to family, friends, veterans, co-workers and students. I am grateful that what is left to recall with heartfelt gratitude is a long legacy of a life well lived along the amazing terrain of the last century. A lesson for us to make our way each day as if we will be here forever. Never giving up or giving in, never compromising, never leaving love unfelt or unexpressed, never losing hope. Always believing in faith, always searching for more, always opening our hearts, always enjoying experiences, always loving with true devotion. If we are blessed to live a century or longer, we will not have wished the years away. We will have filled them up so that whether someone meets us for a day or knows us for 100 years, we too can be assured that our spirit will live on. You still have much to do. Whether it is 24 hours or more than 24 years, make it count. You too will be unforgettable.