There was a time, a long time ago, when I was sitting in the backseat of my mom’s car. A song came on the radio, a song that I had heard before, that I enjoyed listening to. This was a song that I memorized slowly, I thought I knew all the words, when really I only knew parts of the song. I was about five years old when I learned my first song. This song. “Live Like You Were Dying”. I never actually knew the name of it but I always sang it like I was the one who wrote it.

My parents and I would be riding in the car, going to my grandparents, my aunts, the store, the usual; and this song would come on.

“He said I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me…”

I knew right away, that was the song. That was my song. I would sit there, staring out the window into the deep, dark woods while singing this song like no other. When the song was over I would ask my song to replay it, but she always said she couldn’t. Till this day, that song will come on, and I will think to myself, “That's my song!”. I think of my childhood. How things were easier then and how everything has changed. Besides my song. Besides the feeling behind the song every time I heard it.

There was meaning behind my song. The lyrics may not have meant anything to me ten years ago, but now I read over them and I see what this song is actually saying. What it’s really about. I see it in ways that I never have before.

“And I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I’d been denying. And he said someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dying.”

This was a song that gave advice. The advice that you may not have as long as you think. You may not realize what you have in your life. You may not be living your life to the fullest, although you should be.

“Like tomorrow was a gift, and you’ve got eternity to think about what you’d do with it.”

Don't take advantage of today. Don't take advantage of tomorrow. Don't take advantage of the time you have. “Live like you were dying.”