Wednesday, February 4, 2009

IF TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME

Last night I came across the obituary of someone I knew several years ago. It was a shock to see his name there. He was only 30 years old and he had a daughter about the same age as my son. My biggest fear in life is that I will die while my son is young. I know I have no control over when it's my time, but I just hope that when it is my time to go that everyone in my life will know how much they mean to me.
When I checked my email this morning, this was the first message I read, and I was so touched by it that I wanted to share it with all of you.

"A few weeks ago a woman was killed in an auto accident. She was very well liked, so the office shut down for her funeral and it was on the news and so on. On the day the workers came back to work, they found this poem in their e-mail that the deceased woman had sent on Friday before she left for home.

If tomorrow starts without me, And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry the way you did today,
While thinking of the many things, We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me, As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me, Please try to understand,
that an angel came and called my name, And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready, In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind all those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away, A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I'd always thought, I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for, So much left yet to do,
it seemed almost impossible, that I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays, The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared, And all the fun we had..
If I could relive yesterday, Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized, That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories, would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things, I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did, My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates, I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me, From His great golden throne,
He said, 'This is eternity, And all I've promised you.'
Today your life on earth is past, but here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow, But today will always last,
and since each day is the same way, There's no longing for the past.
So when tomorrow starts without me, don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me, I'm right here, in your heart '

19 comments:

"Joker" said...

OK...that choked me up some. Did I mention I'm not the type who gets choked up too often?

Dean "D-Day" said...

Beautiful. Thanx.

(Way too many deep thoughts going on in California this morning.)

Baron's Life said...

Hey...What's all the gloom and doom about. Smile and the world will smile back at you. Keep a positive attitude and approach to life. You owe it to your son.
You expressed every parents fear, but no-one can live their life in fear. Cheer-up, get out there and knock them dead. YOU CAN DO IT

Lady R (Di) said...

What a beautiful poem! This pulled at my heart a little, but I think I would like something like this read at my funeral. Thanks for sharing and I'm sorry you learned of your friends death. I want people to be happy for the life I lived while I was here, not sad that I'm gone. I like to believe I will be in a better place than here.

Unknown said...

it's sad to think that she had these thoughts when the unmentionable happened. Beautiful words and makes you stop and reflect on things . . .

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

FLHX_Dave said...

Whoa! Touching...however...this is why I never have life insurance, send poems to people, write a will...as soon as I did it would be "you met another and pffftt you were gone."

ok ok...very nice.

See! Here is the proof, my verification word is "remonved". Way to close to removed.

One Harley Rider said...

Live everyday like it is your last. My son lost his mother when he was 3 months old - He knows to this day that she loved him very much! And his mom who raised him does the same!

B.B. said...

Joker- Yeah, it more than choked me up.

Dean- Your welcome. I know, Dave and I usually don't get in our deep thoughts at the same time, but when we do...look out. Funny, we aren't even the one's stuck in the snow.

Baron- Thanks for the encouragement. I agree, life lived in fear is really no life at all.

Lady R- I believe when I die I will be in a better place as well, and I hope I live a life that people will be able to remember with happiness.

Bob- Glad you stopped by, I just checked out your site, beautiful pics!

Dave- Now I have that stupid song stuck in my head...thanks!

Harley Rider- I'm so sorry that your son lost his mother, I'm glad that the legacy of her love lives in him, and that he has a mother who raised him with the same.

Ann said...

So sorry you lost a friend. That's never easy.

You totally choked me up at work, too. My boss asked me if I was ok, so I had her read it. She cried. :)

B.B. said...

Thanks Ann. I hadn't seen him for years, but it's just a shock.
Hey, it's about time we turned the tables on the bosses and make them cry. :)

Ann said...

True, but this boss has never made me cry, nor do I envision her ever doing that. Now my old boss...hmmm, maybe I'll send this to a few of my old bosses! :)

Webster World said...

Sorry about the friend. Yes girl think positve. We all fear the same for our kids. But should that happen I know the little ones remember all our goodness. We hope they picked that up and most do. Just keep being the good person you are and be thankful you have been blessed with that little fella with those big twinkling eyes. And Dave to remind you of all you have:)

Big Daddy said...

If you wre not here tommorow.
I would surely cry.
If I wasn't here tommorow.
[I certianly won't be posting any comments]
I want people to just remember me
as someone who loved his family and friends.
And turned in this body well worn.

Mr. Motorcycle said...

Aawww. Sweet poem. Kind of sad though.

IHG said...

You love making me cry don't ya?? Damn!!!

Unknown said...

It's an eternal statement. Even the lasting effect of them on our hearts gives pause to eternity. Either way, I loved the poem and it strikes me that one should live life today so that no one around you has regrets tomorrow.

Mimi said...

Thanks for sharing that. It's beautiful.

John Evans said...

Your post grabbed me out of the day-to-day, here-and-now, get-it-done-yesterday mode and made me reflect on how much I have to be thankful for right now.

Who says we ever get it done anyway. :-)

Kathleen Jennette said...

Tears keep streaming. A soulful, hearful writing.
I am sorry to hear about your friend's passing. Life is short... realy, really, really short... we need to live it.