Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred moments so dear,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure, a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife,
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure, a year in life?
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried,
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died.
How about love? Measure in love, seasons of love.
It's time now, to sing out, though the story never ends,
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends.
Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love,You know that life is a gift from above,
Share love, give love, spread love.
Measure, measure your life in love.
The musical Rent as held a hold over me ever since I first heard those lyrics long ago. When I finally saw it on Broadway and fully felt the story of life it told, I realized it was the story of my life. In fact I almost commenced by remarks at my Mom's funeral with those words.
One lyric seemed to sum up how I have always tried to my life, one day at a time. "Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today." It is my belief that if one lives each day to it's fullest, with hope, with love, being true to oneself, then the past will be with out regrets, and the future will be bright.
One can look back and say 'will I should have done this or I should have made this decision.' However ask yourself; With all the knowledge and wisdom I had at the time did I make the best choice? If you did, then there should be no regrets, no living in the past. Move on, learn, grow. Because there is no day but today.
We all want to 'write one song' that we will be remembered by. I again look at the lyrics of seasons of love, I believe it is our love that will be remembered. I want to be remembered as a Teacher who cared for his students, a Father, Brother, Uncle, a Husband who loved with out judgments.
As 2009 comes to an end and a new decade is about to begin, I look back and I see love...over the past year, thanks to the 21st Century technology, I have been able to be apart of my family, even though they are miles away from me. I see my Nephews and Nieces and their families, I may not post a comment on post or a picture, but I see them grow, hear the news.
With Brittanny getting married, my heart was again opened to love a son I do not know, yet there in the still quite moment, looking at picture of Kyle with Britt, I knew he was the one.
The end of 2009, also makes me look back not only on the past year, but over the past fifty years. I have no regrets, I do wish I made better choices, was stronger in my faith in me. I own those dissensions. They have made me who I am.
So as I look forward to the second half of my life and the few years I have left, I once again choose to live for today, it's time now, to sing out, though the story never ends. I live for today that my one song will be written, that when they think of me, when I am gone, it will be of love.
