Dying

This morning I had Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" stuck in my head. It's about a guy who has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. And when he realizes he's dying, he says this:

"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,

I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu

And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,

And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.

Some day, I hope you get the chance,

To live like you were dyin'."

Now. Let me say first off that I've always hated the concept of living each day like it's your last day on earth. It's impractical. Would I ever do laundry if I thought I wouldn't need clothes tomorrow? Would I ever go to work if I thought it was truly my last day on earth? I love my job, but that's not how I'd spend my last day. It just doesn't make sense.

But I've always liked this song. And I like the concept of loving people more, speaking more kindly, and forgiving others. I like that he had this wake-up call.

What I don't get is the sky diving, mountain climbing, and bull riding. I mean, if I got diagnosed with a terminal disease, my goal wouldn't be to accomplish big risks that I'd never taken before. It would be to make sure I leave my mark on this world. Spend more time with people. Write all the books I want to write. Volunteer more to touch more people's lives. Leave a legacy.

What would you want to do if you knew you had 3 months to live?