Sometimes what happens in life is inexplicable.

This weekend I learned something heartbreaking about someone with whom I once was close. He has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The news makes me very sad.

He is a good man, a good father, a good husband, and a good friend — further proof that good people are not exempt from bad things. That doesn’t seem fair, but it’s the way it is. I haven’t spoken to him (save a few words at my son’s wedding) for almost 30 years, but I pray that God’s arms will be wrapped around him and his family over the next few years.

News like this never fails to remind me of what is important in life. Unfortunately, I think I could be reminded every morning and then forget every day before the sun goes down. WE ONLY HAVE A LIMITED TIME ON EARTH. We must never, ever take this time for granted.

And yet we do. Or at least I do. I’ll bet a day doesn’t go by that I don’t say something mean about someone or complain about someone’s actions, or maybe don’t call someone who would like to hear my voice or point out how something inconvenienced me. And I profess to be a good person. Ha.

I’m happy to say that I don’t think there is anyone with whom I am estranged but there are certainly people with whom I don’t work very hard at relationship. I take them for granted.

Having spent a month in the hospital a few years ago with a condition which could have had dire results, you would think forgiveness and living life to its fullest and building relationships would be top of mind. I think it was for a while, but then it was too easy to fall back into my old patterns.

I think I’m going to write my friend’s name on my bathroom mirror to remind me to not let a day go by without remembering what is important. I’m going to tell my friends and family I love them often, and I’m going to mean it. I’m going to be like Jesus was in yesterday’s Gospel when he dismissed his concern about what others would think and talked to the Samaritan woman at the well. I’m going to say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” and “How can I help you?” and “I love you” again and again.

And most important, I’m going to remind myself that only God knows when my life will end, and I’m going to make the most of it – not by my activities but by my positive actions and by my words.

There are times in all of our lives that we just don’t understand why something is happening to someone we care about. There, frankly, are no answers. But it just seems important to me to have something positive come out of all of this if at all possible. If one person reads this post and then reaches out to someone, perhaps someone from whom they have been estranged, my goal will be met. And maybe I will be that someone.