What Would You Do If You Knew?

in Motivation,Personal Development,Writing

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A friend sent me this poem today as they knew that I was feeling down. I hope it affects you as much as it did me.

Sunset with God's rays

If I Knew

If I knew it would be the last time
That I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say “I love you,”
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I’m sure you’ll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there’s always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say “I love you,”
And certainly there’s another chance
to say our “Anything I can do?”

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll surely regret the day,

That you didn’t take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you’ll always hold them dear

Take time to say “I’m sorry,”
“Please forgive me,” “Thank you,” or “It’s okay.”
And if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll have no regrets about today.. – George Michael Grossman

What would you do differently if you knew it would be the last time?

1. Book Review: Crush It: Why Now Is The Time to Cash In On Your Passion
2. Do You Need To Let Go and Forgive?
3. Are You Being Your True Authentic Self?

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Tagged as: Giving, Motivation, Personal Development

{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Paul March 17, 2010 at 7:23 AM

Karen,

Wow, a very powerful poem. I think there’s a few places I can pass those words on to. There are also places I can use them myself. Thank you for sharing them.

Regards

Paul
Paul´s last blog ..Performance Related . . .

2 Karen March 17, 2010 at 7:34 AM: Hi Paul,

Isn’t it a powerful reminder to not waste today and to not live with regrets. We are not promised tomorrow.

It’s a very powerful poem and I’m glad that you enjoyed it.

Karen

Reply

3 Alex March 17, 2010 at 5:11 PM

Great poem. You have to live every day the best you possibly can. Always be complete with everything. I never go to bed unsatisfied. I never go to bed angry at anyone. Definitely an important poem, great share!
Alex´s last blog ..The Virtue of Obsession

4 Karen March 17, 2010 at 9:10 PM: Hi Alex,

I’m so happy that you enjoyed the poem. It sounds as if you have it all figured out – good for you for knowing not to go to bed unsatisfied

Thanks for sharing.
Karen

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5 Julius March 17, 2010 at 10:38 PM

This poem truly reminded me of the loved ones I haven’t really gave enough attention to. Makes me realize that I need to go out there, call them, and spend time with them over the weekend. Life is always uncertain. This time may be the last time, I believe.
Julius´s last blog ..>When Sound is not an Option: A review of Vibrating Devices for Deaf People

6 Karen March 18, 2010 at 10:52 AM: Hi Julius,

Sometimes we get caught up in our day-to-day lives that it’s so easy to forget about those that are important to us, particularly if we are not interacting with them continuously. The poem is a great reminder not to take anyone or anything for granted as none of it is guaranteed to be here tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing,
Karen

Reply

7 Ben March 18, 2010 at 6:19 AM

This is how you should lead everyday – like it’s your last.

Don’t be afraid to ask that question, make that move, take that leap of faith.

Thanks for sharing this Karen
Ben´s last blog ..It depends on the polar bears.

8 Karen March 18, 2010 at 10:57 AM: Hi Ben,

I sometimes wonder if maybe too many people are living life as if today is their last day on earth and to heck with the consequences (i.e. the cheating affairs and reckless behaviour that are in the news lately). It’s one thing to live life to the fullest and take advantage of the day’s offerings, but I think we still have a hopeful heart that tomorrow will be another day. I agree that we should not be taking anything for granted, but we should also live with the belief that to a certain extent whatever we do will have lasting effects. We definitely should take the leap of faith – faith that no matter what tomorrow brings, we are here today.

Thanks,
Karen

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9 Justin Popovic March 18, 2010 at 10:58 AM

Great poem Karen. Very inspirational…

I love the line, “So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?”

I can actually use this line to serious benefit when I’m facing a fearful situation that is causing me to procrastinate. Remind myself that tomorrow is not guaranteed and today is all we have.

Great insight
Justin Popovic´s last blog ..Work Expands to Fit the Time Allotted

10 Karen March 18, 2010 at 11:05 AM: Hi Justin,

You make a great point about procrastination. I know how easy it is to just put off those things that you don’t want to do today. After all, tomorrow is another day and it still will be waiting for your attention. But, perhaps the ‘thing’ will be here tomorrow, but people are in a different class. No one is guaranteed to be here tomorrow, that’s why it’s so important to take the relationships you do have and the people who are important to you, in a serious manner so that they know how much they mean to you.

Thanks,
Karen

Reply

11 Moon Hussain March 18, 2010 at 1:20 PM

Thanks a lot Karen, you almost made me cry

No joke! lol. Especially the first part:
“If I knew it would be the last time
That I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.”

Maybe because I think about these things a lot…? We all need a moment to reflect. Thanks.
Moon Hussain´s last blog ..Clash Of The Titans: Pros & Cons of Various Types Of Passive Income Streams

12 Karen March 18, 2010 at 8:13 PM: Hi Moon,

Oh, no, don’t cry

I’m glad that you were touched by the poem. It’s a beautiful one and is very powerful.

Thanks,
Karen

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13 Lees Shizzle March 18, 2010 at 5:24 PM

Ditto that moon… having lost loved ones recently and one sent home to die, it’s powerful reminder.
Thanks Karen..
Lees Shizzle´s last blog ..Yeah it was just Me! Twitter I like you now

14 Karen March 18, 2010 at 8:18 PM: Hi Lee,

I’m so sorry for your loss. You’re right, the poem is a powerful reminder that tomorrow is not a guarantee.

Thanks for stopping by,
Karen

Reply

15 Ben Tien March 26, 2010 at 10:09 PM

Hi Karen, nice poem.. And I love the last paragraf… I think, it’s not hard to say “I’m sorry”
“Please forgive me” “Thank you”… There are no regrets for saying it
Ben Tien´s last blog ..It’s Time to Change

16 Karen March 27, 2010 at 9:16 AM: Welcome Ben,

I’m so glad that you liked the poem. I agree, we usually regret the things we didn’t say and not the things that we did say. Saying those words to someone important in your life can really make all the difference.

Thanks,
Karen

Reply

17 Jen April 14, 2010 at 6:44 AM