Why are we here?

Years ago I read an article by Rick Reilly titled “Why are we here?”. It was a tribute to the beautiful mundane of sports.  I was thinking about that in reference to everyday life.  I was thinking how often its easy to get caught up wishing for tomorrow, the next vacation, the big deal, the promotion etc.  The reality is that those days may never come…while that seems sobering and depressing it actually frees us to embrace the amazing life in the here and now.  So I will attempt to give my own version of the same question...

We are here to wake up to a dreary morning and make pancakes for tired boys and see them gradually come to life. We are here to do a good job and find moments of joy and connection in our work. We are here to get the job and lose the job. We are here to connect with a friend, listen to heartache and give support even when we are at wits end in our own lives. We are here to feel the sun, the rain and the wind. We are here to write love letters,  friend letters and goodbye letters.  We are here to laugh, cry and scream. We are here to bandage the cuts, kiss the bruises and hug out the sorrows. We are here to change diapers, sing lullabies and answer cries at 2am. We are here to watch sunsets and sunrises. We are here to play catch for no reason at all. We are here to pour our heart and soul into a pick-up basketball game. We are here to strike out and hit walk off homers. We are here to paint, draw, color, create and dabble.  We are here to kiss, love, tickle and give piggie-back rides. We are here to finish the job, pay the bills and wake up and do it all over again. We are here to watch movies and eat popcorn.  We are here to cook, grill and bake. We are here to plant, grow and harvest.  We are here to teach and to listen.  We are here to exercise our bodies, eat glorious deserts and sleep late on Saturday. We are here to dance badly and sing off-key. We are here to decorate for the holidays, go on vacation and throw parties both big and small. We are here to mourn and celebrate. We are here for back rubs, high-fives and king of the mountain. We are here for heart to hearts and bad jokes. We are here to daydream and focus. We are here to ride bikes, sprint the last 20 yards, climb hills and mountains.  We are here to launch monstrous drives and shank it in the trees. We are here for triple bogeys and hole in one’s. We are here to attempt perfect dives and to play sharks and minnows. We are here to get dirt under our fingernails and stains on our clothes. We are here for slip and slides, water fights and rope swings. We are here to take apart and put back together. We are here to save our pennies and to give them all away. We are here to read books and have opinions.  We are here to question our existence and praise our creator. We are here to fight it out and then make up. We are here to forgive,  forget and remember. We are here to find ourself facedown in the arena and rise to our feet. We are here to live our lives and remember that today, this day, this moment, is an opportunity and a gift. We are here to face our final breath and be grateful,  knowing that we got the gift of a lifetime.