The Last Hug

The wedding was about to begin. The groom was nervous. The bride was radiant. The guests were in their places. I was trying to calm the anxiety-stricken groomsmen. Then the father of the bride caught my attention. Serene. Pensive. Almost tearful. "I wonder when the last time was that I picked her up and held her," he said. "I mean the very last time. I don't remember. Was she six, seven or maybe nine? I don't remember. I only know that if I had realized that is was the last time to hold my little girl, I would have held her longer, tighter and with more feeling." "THE LAST TIME!" Those are serious words. The last football game for the quarterback. The last work day for the retiree. The last kiss for the widow. The last time. What if you were to invest your energy into every day as if it were your last day? How would it be different from the routine? Think of the automatic change this would make in most of our relationships with parents, children, spouse and friends. Are there feelings in your heart that are destined to stay locked inside? The body in the coffin does not hear the words of the loved one standing beside it. The writer of Hebrews in the Bible understood this principle: "Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your heart." Hebrews 3:7-8 ". . . exhort (encourage, warn) each other every day, as long as it is called today." Hebrews 3:13 Today there may be opportunities which will never come again.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN