Too Short

I had, yet another, reminder today that life can be, all too unexpectedly, too short. As many of you might remember, I previously accepted a challenge to participate in a marathon relay team this past weekend. Well, my team fell apart for a variety of unable-to-run reasons and so I spent the weekend in Dallas with my family instead. When I got to work this morning, I learned that one of the members of my team from last year's relay had decided to run the half marathon.

And died doing it.

I still haven't processed it. I didn't know him well (he was friends with the organizer of last year's team) but I remember arriving at the exchange point last year and, sweating profusely, handing him the timing chip. I remember watching him run off and learning later that he finished his leg at some impressive negative splits - making up a lot of the time I had lost on my oh-so-slow short leg.

And now he's gone.

Apparently, what I've been told, is that he suffered a heart attack and, despite the best efforts of other runners and the course emergency responders, died right there on the course.

Twenty-seven years old. Younger (and healthier) than me. Gone in an instant.

I think it should be a reminder (as so many such things are) to all of us. Don't take a single moment for granted. Don't be afraid to reach out and take hold of those things that you so desperately want for yourself. You just never know, no matter what you might think, how much time you truly have left.

As Dave Matthews says, 'the future is no place to place our better days.' You don't know what your future holds - none of us do. So take full advantage of your present - it may be all you have.

In memory of Marcus, today, I intend to take advantage of my present. I intend to do something that's been on my list for a while now. I'll share it with you soon but I wanted to take this moment to encourage all of you to do the same.

In memory of Marcus.