GO Now or forever hold your peace.

Stillraining · #1 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Many seem to spout the "Go Now" mantra and a few have in their signature line " When life ebbs away its not the things you have done that you will marvel at but the things you left undone you will regret" or a facsimile of that statement.

Although I haven't felt life's forces slipping away I did receive a potential 5 years to live sentence from my doctors a couple years back.

For me that was not a key note in the Symphony of life to Go Now and fulfill some bucket list but a key note to better my relationships with loved ones and take care of business right where I was at.

To make sure that when that day comes if it does that my wife picks my hand up and tells me I was a good and faithful husband to the end and she could have married none better....that my kids do the same and really mean it when they say I could not have been a better more selfless and loving dad.

To Go Now would be to walk away from all that's important in their lives...to go now would be to walk away to whats important in mine.

No...Going now is not necessarily a good thing...going now is not something I will regret in the future... Because going now is doing exactly what I am doing....

For there was a day not long ago when I was going now to find a girl...going now to get married and going now to have three beautiful daughters..and now today, going now is to provide and nurture what they need and want to do as well not just what I want to do.

Part of myself died when I slipped on my wife's ring, but another better part of me was born.. still another part of self slipped away when we made a decision to have children yet the remaining part received a far greater blessing and joy from it.

Some day I will lie in that bed...some day I will have to look and marvel into those 4 sets of eyes...some day I hope to say...... I did well ....I can go now.

May your days be long and your hearts desires be filled...but if your days are short let the hearts of others be filled with your love...Lord make it so...Amen

Go Now!

bljones · #2 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Dude, you are getting seriously philosophological lately. Have you been doing a "life-to-date" gutcheck and figuring out whether you are as happy as you should be, as satisfied and as accomplished as you should be and as successful as you should be, or something?

Bene505 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Still,

Great thoughts. We have 4 kids and I can symphathize (?spelling) with you there. They take priority, at least until they can fully take care of themselves.

Of course, I'm going to teach them all how to sail and you still have to take care of yourself some.

Regards,
Brad

FSMike · #4 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Interesting.

Hypothetically - If I had a wife and children and I was told I had five years to live - We would all be on a sailboat and gone. My thinking is that the kids have the rest of their lives to be on land doing other stuff. Five years cruising would enable the family to have much more time together than the equivalent period on land, and would hopefully give the kids a chance to learn more about what their parents think is valuable than what they will pick up in the mall.

The children I have met who are being raised on cruising boats are almost universally polite, curious, educated, and self-reliant.

Doing what's best for your family need not mean depriving yourself. I loved my parents most when they were happiest. The biggest mistake I made in my life was choosing a situation for my son based on finances and "things" for what I thought would be in his best interest, rather than doing what I would have preferred.

If you were going to die in five years, I submit that the most important legacy you can leave behind will be memories, not houses or the right school or similar "things". I further submit that cruising is a wonderful way to accomplish that.

So much for being serious.

kwaltersmi · #5 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

If you "Go now" the kids can "come along now" too, or at least that's how I look at it. Yes, they need nurturing, but that can be defined in so many ways. Being present for them is the best nuturing anyone can provide. I figure my kids will only be this young, cute and innocent for a very short time...and I intend to take full advantage by spending plenty of time with them...hopefully while doing some long (distance & time) cruising.

By the way, is it "Go now or forever hold your PIECE" or "Go now or forever hold your PEACE"?

Stillraining · #6 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Mods will you fix that for me I tried but it didn't take..Thanks

blackjenner · #7 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Well said. My compliments.

blackjenner · #8 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by bljones

Dude, you are getting seriously philosophological lately. Have you been doing a "life-to-date" gutcheck and figuring out whether you are as happy as you should be, as satisfied and as accomplished as you should be and as successful as you should be, or something?

That's worthwhile doing as long as you don't spend too much time measuring yourself against others.

bljones · #9 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackjenner

That's worthwhile doing as long as you don't spend too much time measuring yourself against others.

I prefer to think that others measure themselves against me. After all, they don't call me "tripod" for nothing.

Funsail · #10 (**permalink**) 03-18-2010

This says it all for us.
We went, our mistake was coming back.....

"What if the spell of a place falls upon a youthful heart, and the bright horizon calls!
Many a thing will keep till the world's work is done, and youth is only a memory.
When the old enchanter came to my door, laden with dreams, I reached out with both hands.
For I knew he would not be lured with the gold that I might later offer, when age had come upon me."
Richard J. MacCullaugh, Viking's Wake

Thanks