Celebration of Life（生命的庆典）

Bella

    On my way home from coaching basketball yesterday, I was listening to WGN, my favorite talk radio station out of Chicago. I could tell right away that there was something wrong by the somber mood of the speaker.
There had been a plane crash. Two small planes collided into each other over a northern suburb of Chicago. What made the story hit close to home was that Bob Collins, the morning show man for WGN, was the pilot of one of the planes and had been killed. I'm sure that many readers have tuned in "Uncle Bobby" on their car radios in the Midwest. Later that night, as I made my forty minute drive to my third shift job, I listened as the station reminisced and paid tribute to a man who was loved by many.
   T hey told story after story, describing him as the ultimate friend and a man who had lived life to the fullest. Genuine love and affection poured in from all over the country. The more I listened to how this man had influenced those around him, the more discouraged I became.
    Why you ask?
    I was discouraged because I wanted to know why we as a culture wait until somebody has passed away before we tell them how much we love them. Why do we wait until someone's ears can't hear before we let them know how much they mean to us? Why do we wait until it is too late before we recall the good qualities of a person? Why do we build someone up after they have gone into eternity? What good does it do then? We share memory after memory, as we laugh, cry, and think back about what was positive in a person's life. Yes, it does help us cope with the grief of losing someone who was special to us, and, yes, it does bring those who are coping closer together. Unfortunately, as we lovingly remember this person, our words fall short of the ears that most needed to hear them.
    Just once I would like to see a celebration of life instead of a gathering of death. A celebration where stories are told, eyes mist over, laughter rings out, and as the speaker concludes his or her loving tribute, the person they are honoring rises from their chair and gives them the biggest bear hug! Wouldn't that be something! The special people get to hear the stories and come to the realization that they have made a difference on this earth, and all this is done well before they leave their earthly bodies and go into eternity. When the inevitable funerals finally come, we can say good-bye with the knowledge that they knew exactly how people felt about them while they were here on earth.
    I now have a stronger resolve to tell those around me how much they mean to me. I am going to let my wife know just how loved and appreciated she is, not only by my words, but also by my actions, I am going to play Batman with my four-year-old more often, and in the middle of our romping,I am going to grab him, hug him tightly, and tell him how thankful I am that he is my son. I am going to sneak into my sleeping toddler's bedroom, place my lips on his chubby cheek, and thank God for the bundle of joy he has brought into my life. Each day I will make a point to tell both of my boys how much I love them, whether they are four or eighteen! From there, I am going to let family and friends know the tremendous impact they have had on my life. Finally, I am going to let the high school players I coach know that I look forward to each and every minute that I get to spend with them in the gym.
   Do you love someone? Then tell them! Has someone been an influence in your life? Then give them a call! Has someone made a difference in your life? Then write them a letter or send them an e-mail! Don't let another day go by without letting that person know. There is something special about a written letter that expresses feelings of love towards another. I don't know about you, but I have letters and cards from people that I have saved for years, and from time to time, I get them out and re-read them.
    They can turn a depressing day into one where I realize just how blessed and lucky I am.
Life is too short to leave kind words unsaid. The words you say, or the letter you write, might just make all the difference in the world.
生命的庆典

昨天，在我训练完篮球回家的路上，收听我最喜欢的一个谈话电台WGN的时候，听到播音员庄重而严肃的语调，我感觉到一定有什么事情发生了。就在芝加哥北部郊区的上空，发生了一起飞机相撞事件，两架小型飞机相撞了。
这个消息之所以会让人觉得震惊是因为其中一个飞行员死了，而他就是WGN的晨间播音员，鲍勃.克林斯。
我相信当时在中西部的很多听众都将车里的收音机调到那一台收听"博比叔叔"。过了一会儿，也就是我开车去我的三份工作的途中，大概四十分钟的路程，我一直听着电台对那个受众多人爱戴的播音员的追忆和赞美。他们讲述着关于他的一个又一个故事，故事当中把他描述最伟大的朋友，并且是一个将生命发挥得淋漓尽致的人。来自全国各地的所表达的对他的崇敬纷至沓来。而听到越多关于他对周围人的影响，我就觉得越泄气。
你会问：为什么?
我会觉得泄气，是因为我很疑惑，为什么我们要等到人去世了，才想要告诉他，我们有多爱他？我们为什么要等到一个人听不见的时候，才想要告诉他，他对我们有多重要？我们为什么要等到一切都无法挽回时，才意识到一个人的崇高人格？我们为什么要等到一个人与世长辞之后才去赞美他？这样做又有什么意义呢？每当我们哭着，笑着，或是回想着在一个人的生命里什么东西才是积极的时候，我们也在分享着关于这个人的一点一滴的记忆。是的，它可以帮助我们摆脱失去一个生命中重要的人的悲伤；是的，它也可以将想念他的人的心拉得更近。但不幸的是，当我们深切地去怀念这个人的时候，我们所说的话，已经传不到最需要听这些话的人的耳里了。
我所乐于见到的是一次生命的庆典而不是一次死亡的聚会。在一个庆典中，人们泪眼朦胧地谈论着，偶尔爆发出阵阵笑声，当发言者表达出他的赞美之意后，他们所崇拜的那个人站起来与他们热烈相拥。那样不是更有意义吗？那些人听到关于他们自己的故事才意识到在这个世界上他们做了与众不同的举动，而所有这些都是在他们离开人世之前所做的。即使死亡是在所难免的，我们也可以毫无遗憾地向他告别，因为我们知道他已了解他在世时世人对他的评价。
此刻，我非常强烈的想要告诉我周围的人他们对我有多重要。我想要让我妻子知道我有多喜欢她，多爱她，不止在语言上，还要在行动上。我要余出更多的时间陪我四岁的儿子玩Batman，在玩耍中，我要拉住他，紧紧抱住他，告诉他我是多么感激他是我的儿子。我要悄悄溜进我那熟睡的刚学会走路的儿子的房间里，亲吻他胖乎乎的脸，感谢上帝他给我生命带来的欢笑。每天我都要告诉我两个儿子我有多爱他们，不论他们是四岁还是十八岁。我要告诉家人，朋友，他们对我人生的巨大影响。最后，我还要告诉我所训练的高中的队员们，我期待和他们在体育馆度过的每一分钟。
你爱某个人吗？那么就告诉他。有人影响过你吗？打个电话吧。有人曾经改变过你吗？那么给他写封信或发个e-mail吧！
别在错失让那个人知道的机会了。向别人表达爱意所写的信有很多特殊的地方。我不知道你怎么样，反正我这么多年来积攒了很多别人给我的信或卡片，偶而还会拿出来再回味一下。这些信有时可以把令人沮丧的一天变成愉快而幸运的一天。
生命如此的短暂，短暂到有很多友善的话没有说出口，你所说的话或写的信也许就可以改变了整个世界。