Sunday, February 1, 2009

In the blink of an eye

Life is short. Life is precious. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we are served up a dose of reality.

This past week I was contacted by a client. We spoke a total of four times on the phone in the course of three days. In those three days however, we were able to meet his needs and get the ball rolling on the project as requested. The last conversation I had with him was Thursday evening.

Saturday morning I received in the mail from him the final piece of correspondence I needed for the job at hand. Ten minutes later as I was reading the newspaper I saw his obituary. He was killed in an automobile accident on Friday morning. He had mailed that correspondence in the brief hours between when we spoke and when he was killed.

I didn't know him, but yet I mourn for him and pray for his family. It is a strange dose of reality that hits you up side of the head and makes you stop and think of the ones who matter most in your life. And then you see the need to take time to tell them what they mean to you.

1 comment:

Bob G. said...

JR:
Had something similar happen to me once...
Had a co-worker that was someone I got to know pretty well.
Said so long to him on FRIDAY (was a holiday weekend).

Monday comes, and he's NOT there.
I found out he dove into a pool to save his little nephew, struck his head on the bottom, and broke his neck.

I was floored!

I just said "see 'ya Monday" to him...and it was over.

It DOES make one take stock of one's mortality.
And I STILL think about it sometimes.
Life IS weird that way.
And a bit cruel in tnat regard.

B.G.