When It's Too Late

14 years ago on September 11, 2001, 2,731 innocent people went to work or about their day in the bustling city. 246 innocent people boarded airplanes to go back to families or to their jobs. 2,977 innocent people didn't know that it would be the last day they would walk this earth.

I'm sure you remember where you were that day when you first heard the news. I was getting ready for work. I had just started working at Elm Road Elementary School the week before that. We were watching the Today Show as we prepared for our work day. The news came on about this horrific plane crash at the World Trade Center in New York City. Thousands of miles away, I crumbled to my knees with this devastating news. America was facing something unimaginable. No, not facing. It had hit us square between the eyes. I remember going through that work day just feeling like we were all going through the motions. We murmured to one another in the hallways, "Have you heard any more news?" At lunch, we silently sat in the lounge just watching the news as it flashed on the screen. The two Towers had collapsed. An empty field in Pennsylvania had been obliterated. The Pentagon had been hit. 19 cowards (don't tell me this wasn't an act of cowardice just as much as it was an act of terrorism) saw nothing wrong with taking the lives of 2,977 innocent people.

Tonight, as I sit here thinking about the anniversary tomorrow, it strikes me that we are never guaranteed one more breath. We never know when we may go to work, to the grocery store, to the park, etc and never come back. We never know when God is going to call us home. While I always hope I have many more years, we have no promises. I've known people close to 100 years old who have come to the end of their life. I've known people who have lost tiny babies. I've known people who have watched their teenagers draw their last breath. I've known people whose lives have come to an end at many ages in between. I will tell you that the ones who knew their days were fleeting due to illness lived their lives with a lot more zest than the ones who didn't.

So I encourage you to live each day as if it may be your last. While I hope God will allow us many more days, weeks, months and years, we can never be too sure. So, tell your family members you love them. Give your kids one more squeeze in the morning. Smile at the person next to you in the waiting room. Wish your cashier a good day. The next moment just might be too late.