If there is a meaningful take-away from a funeral, it is to count your days. I have always taken this to mean that each day is precious, that we only have a finite number of them, and we don't know when the last one shall be upon us. So counting your days means to make sure each one counts, that each one is meaningful, that one doesn't sweat the small stuff, or live life backwards full of regret. One can only will forward, so will forward and live for today and tomorrow. Jim was a historian who was trained to look back, but he lived his life forward, even when he knew that he had precious few days remaining. The only difference between him and the rest of us is that he knew in a very concrete way that his days were numbered. For most of us most of the time that is a merely abstract truth of no practical relevance -- kind of like knowing the speed of light. See a friend cut down in his prime and at least for a few hours one might feel the finitude of life in a very real way, and one might try, at least for a few hours, to give life its due, life which, in a sense, is even more precious and finite than clean air and water. Show at least as much concern for the precious and perishable commodity that is one's own life and one will not waste time on matters of insignificance. But of course this is very hard to do consistently or even for a day. It is in the nature of things that we live as though we have all the time in the world. But of course we do not. So live and love forward for the sake of the good and important things you can do today, tonight, tomorrow. Whatever that means for you, take the time that remains seriously. Take it, use it wisely, do not squander it. For someday, and sooner than you think, someone will be delivering your eulogy -- or mine!
