Living Not Dying




	"I'll be living when I die." I read those beautiful and wise words today in a story a friend sent me. They rang so true to my heart and soul that I found myself repeating them all day long. They made me think again of how I really want to live my life to the fullest every single day. They made me think again of how silly it is to think and worry about death when there is so much living to do in this life. They made me think again of how I want to continue to grow in and share love and joy ,day by day and year by year, so that my very last day can be my very best day as well. They made me think again of how much caring, giving, helping, laughing, hugging, singing, dancing, smiling, and loving goes into truly living.
	I want to spend all my days living and not dying. I want to spend all my days taking in the wonders of a sunset, smelling the sweetness of flowers, and rejoicing in the love of my family. I want to spend all my days choosing joy, sharing joy, and showing others that they can do the same. I want to spend all my days doing all that I can to make this world a better, more beautiful and more wonderful place to live in.

	Leo Buscaglia said in one of his speeches that he wanted his tombstone to read; 'Here lies Felice Leonardo Buscaglia who lived himself to death'. May all of us be able to say the same.
	May all of us when we face God at the end of our lives be able to say that we truly lived and truly loved. May all of us be able to smile with our last sigh. May all of us be able to laugh and not cry when death knocks at our door, because we lived our lives to the fullest and gave all that we were to the world. May all of us be able to say from the bottom of our hearts and the depths of our souls, "I'll be living when I die."
	Joseph J. Mazzella