Tag: Savor

It’s Easter

To me, first and foremost, Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus. I get it. But, also for me, there is a lot of other things to celebrate on this day too. There has been so much rebirth everywhere. From the minute details of the daffodils blooming to the emergence of myself and my husband from illness to the rejuvenation of old relationships: there is a sense of fresh start everywhere.

Second chances are everywhere, if we take advantage of them. I think this applies not only to religion, but to life in general. I have to admit, there has been so much change to take in that sometimes it’s overwhelming as well as wonderful. I am sometimes not sure how to process it all. I make sure to never let it overwhelm my sense of gratitude, but I am noticing that there is still an underlying sense of anxiety and “waiting for the other shoe to drop” again in my every day life. It seems to be affecting my whole family as well. I think it’s just normal with everything we have been through lately.

I realize that I need to make a conscious effort to keep moving forward, and to help my family move forward with me. We need to make the absolute most of and learn from these second chances. We need to focus on what gives us joy, even if it is something as small as watching my grandchildren hunt for Easter eggs or as monumental as hearing that my latest scans are clear.

So, as you gather with family and friends today to celebrate our Lord, also take time to celebrate each other and life in general. Take nothing for granted. Embrace every opportunity. Learn from each other and your own mistakes. Savor every moment.

Have a happy and blessed Easter.

Dr. Katz

Don’t wait till yer dyin to love deeper.

How does that Tim McGraw song go? The guy found out he was dying and decided to love deeper and speak sweeter? Now that there was hardly any time left? That song makes me cry every time I hear it, not just because the guy is dying, but because of all the time he obviously wasted when he could have been savoring life, everything and everyone around him.

Let me tell you first hand that I am being worked up for lymphoma right now. One possible type is very treatable and the other is far more aggressive and tricky. Either way, I am in for a fight and, like with any possible cancer diagnosis, there is a possibility that I won’t make it. It’s just the reality of the situation. However, I know one thing for sure: I have tried to live my life to the fullest and love the deepest since the day I was born. I have always tried to put myself out there. I have tried new things. I have been kind. I have always let my family know that they are my true love and my whole heart. Do I have some regrets? Sure. Everybody does. Are there some things that I would have done differently? Of course. I have had a shit ton of tragedy and obstacles too and I have learned from all of it. But, no matter what, I know that I have had a life well-lived so far and that I am going to continue to head in that direction. I am so grateful for that. I can’t imagine feeling like I have to cram an entire life’s worth of experiences and savoring into a couple of months because I wasted it all before that point. It’s an impossible task. My advice is take it all in now! Savor everything now! Send love out to the universe now! Don’t kid yourself and hold back thinking that you’ll always have plenty of time. Tomorrow is never guaranteed for any of us.

Dr. Katz

“Life is too short, so live your life to the fullest….every second of your life just treasure it..” William Shakespeare

Shakespeare had the right idea a long time ago. I think that we have just forgotten it lately. There have been songs and poems written by many about the utter preciousness of life, and yet we still complain bitterly, we forget to notice what we do have, and we have forgotten how to recognize the good.

This also begs the question: Is it really a matter of life being too short, or is it a matter of wasting the time that we have? Seneca once wrote that “it is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievement if it were all well invested.” He also goes on to say that most of us don’t even realize that life is passing us by as we are distracted by greed, poor living, etc and that it is only when death is knocking at our door that we finally “get it,” but then it is too late.

The bottom line is that it is up to us to savor live