Live Like You Were Dying

Driving in to work this morning I had my radio tuned to FM Warm 106.9, a random station that rarely gets my attention but today there must have been a reason. Although I'm not a country music fan (except for the old Willy Nelson favorites from decades past), I was riveted to Tim McGraw's tune "Live Like You Were Dying". Need I share that there were tears welling up by the time the song wrapped up as I drove down 5th Avenue under Seattle's monorail? The message was clear, the timing perfect, and the effect on my day rather remarkable.

The lyrics are great (below) but the way he sings brings the story to life. Listen up all! We are all dying and we should live like we are dying. If not, life will pass us by. Why wait for the wake up call of a life threatening illness to bring us to this precious place where each day is the blessing, where each day is the opportunity.

Here goes.....

"He said I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me
And one moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays
Talking bout' the options and talking bout' sweet times.
I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end
How's it hit 'cha when you get that kind of news?
Man what did ya do?
He said

I went skydiving
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 denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'

Verse 2
He said I was finally the husband, that most the time I wasn't
And I became a friend, a friend would like to have
And all of a sudden goin' fishin, wasn't such an imposition
And I went three times that year I lost my dad
Well I finally read the good book, and I took a good long hard look
At what I'd do if I could do it all again
And then

I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Shu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'

Like tomorrow was the end
And ya got eternity to think about what to do with it
What should you do with it
What can I do with it
What would I do with it

Skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And man I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I watched an eagle as it was flyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'

To live like you were dyin'
To live like you were dyin'
To live like you were dyin'
To live like you were dyin' "

Click here for Tim McGraw's video; very nice indeed.....