I had lunch with a friend the other day. Her husband had died about four months ago. As we were talking, she made a suggestion to me, for how to approach an activity which is sometimes hard for me: What if this was the last time you got to do this thing?
Her advice is bearing fruit for me. I was grumpy, for no particular reason, and we were going to visit a friend. What if this was the last time I was able to visit this friend? I immediately understood the preciousness of the moment, of the evening. In my yoga practice, I avoided a half-hearted effort: what if this was the last time I could do my yoga practice? It helped me focus on the posture at hand.
I want to treat all my interactions, particularly with my loved ones, in the spirit of What if this was the last time? I want my family and intimate friends to know how much I love them, and value them. If I don’t tell them now, or act in a loving manner toward them now, will I get another chance?
We went to a memorial today for another friend’s husband. For this friend, there had been an unexpected last time. It is never too soon to put this into practice.