By Dawn Onley

There are people who woke up this morning who won’t make it through this day. Jarring right?

Not really. I could be one of them. Heck, so could you.

This is not meant to scare you. It is simply meant to state a fact that is often so easily forgotten as we go about our busy lives. Nothing is promised to us. Absolutely nothing. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not the moment it takes you to read this post. Nothing is certain about this earthly life, aside for the fact that it will end.

The news is filled with stories of sudden death; people who had no idea they were living in their final moments. Sudden heart attacks. Car accidents. Strokes. Rare disorders discovered when we are going about our everyday lives. And so much more. None of us knows what fate awaits us when (or if) we wake up in the morning, shower, get dressed and start our day.

Life deals us some crushing blows sometimes. None of us are protected from its grasp. We will all face sorrow and grief, and maybe even tragedy. That person that you see on the evening news who lost his life had plans for tomorrow. For next week. For the summer. His family had plans for his life. They were not prepared for his death.

Nothing is certain about this life, except that it will someday end.

Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Sure, that’s a cliché, but it’s so relevant, especially for the times we are living in. Don’t wait to start living. Live for this very moment. It’s truly all we have.

I know of someone who was always putting off traveling until he retired. He would wait until then to see the world. Except “then” never happened. He got sick a few months after retirement and he died less than a year later. True story.

Later is not assured.

Do it today. Whatever it is. Please, do it now.