Whatever happens.....

This morning I found this e-mail message from my good friend and I thought this is well worth a read.

"WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON."

Its a good touchy message.

It does make sense and we should take the time every day to do what it says.

Around the corner I have a friend, In this great city that has
no end, Yet the days go by and weeks rush on, And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face, For life is a swift and
terrible race, He knows I like him just as well, As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine if, we were younger then, And now we are
busy, tired men. Tired of playing a foolish game, Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim" ,"Just to show that I'm
thinking of him." But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner! yet miles away, "Here's a telegram sir"
"Jim died today." And that's what we get and deserve in the end. Around the corner, a vanished friend.

Remember to always say what you mean. If you love or like someone, tell them.

Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you. Because when you decide
that it is the right time it might be too late.

Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today.

Thank you for posting this.

Raking this thread up again.... so that newcomers can take a look.

Several years back I recvd a Birthday card from a 'favorite" cousin. She lived in MI & I in CA. During our childhood years we saw each other everyother summer and kept in touch w/letters (best of friends). During our adult years we wrote at Christmas, and even missed a few of those; then one Sept. I recvd a very nice card and long letter from her. I was going write, "when I had the time"; "when I really had news"; I'll write "when I pick up a pretty card".
I never got around to writting; she died suddenly. I've felt bad now for years. Lesson learned.
I've sat with two friends in the past two years as they died of cancer; but we were closer in our friendship because of the mistake I made with my cousin. Yes; take advantage to keep close to our friends and family; they literally could be gone tomorrow.

There were two old people with whom I had picked up friendship due to our common hobbies. Both of them were no more when I routinely went on my saturday visits at different times. I miss them. I've paid tributes to them in two separate blogs.

http://dinusimpressions.blogspot.com/2007/05/coin-krishnappa.html
http://dinusimpressions.blogspot.com/2007/05/mr-brown.html

I don't have pictures of them because I did not have a camera till late 90s. They only stay in memories!

I too had struck up a friendship over the last 2 years with 2 elderly gentlemen in my neighborhood. One committed suicide in December and I miss him terribly. The other has developed Alzheimers over the last 6 months and his family just had to move him to a facility after he was found wondering around last monday morning around 4 in the morning. He is such a part of the history of the area where I live and he always made me laugh.

December 16 2006..it was a sunday and I kept thinking I would call my dad. I kept talking myself out of it because it would be Christmas next week and just save all my "talking for then. 7:30 am on tuesday the 18th I got the call that he had died 2 hours earlier......wish I would have called.

They move the heart at times.

Dinu, I enjoyed your tributes. Thank you for sharing.

Dinu,
Thank you for the poem.

Many years ago when I was in my first year of high school, my English teacher assigned this poem for us to memorize. I do not remember the rest of the assignment, but she became my favorite teacher and I kept in touch with her over the following years.

I had an opportunity when she was in her 90's to nominate her for an award that was given by the University of Kentucky to teachers who had been truly wonderful and important to our lives. I was a teacher myself. She received the award, and I was invited to attend the presentation with her. This was to take place about 300 miles from my home, and I was unable to attend.

Very soon after that she sent me a card, and she enclosed a copy of the poem, asking if I still remembered it. She asked me to call her, and I did. When we talked she thanked me for the nomination and asked me to recite the poem to her. I asked her to recite it with me. And so we did.

She passed away just a few weeks later, and her daughters called to ask me to come to her memorial service. I went to the service, and found that she had requested that I recite that poem at the end of the service, just to remind others to keep up with friendships. I had met her in 1956, and she died in 1999. We had kept our friendship going for well over 40 years. It was a very special thing.

Your poem brought back a memory of a wonderful friend. Thank you.

Sharran you have D-mail.

Thank you for the poem. I was given the chance to visit my sister in Minnesota next month, am glad I am going to see everyone since I haven't seen them in years. "Life is fragile, handle with prayer"

Very true, Samigal.