Life is fragile, I knew that intellectually. Now I know it in a real sense. Laurie and I began a glorious trip to Cabo, each with nine lives. We returned home full of gratitude, but now each with eight lives. We each donated one of our lives to the Pacific Ocean. We were almost swept away in a high tide, but thankfully in the battle of man vs. sea, we miraculously won.
The adventure began on a picture-postcard afternoon. The beach was calling out to us to take a walk in the sand. We were walking far from the water’s edge at what we thought was a safe distance inland. Suddenly, one of the biggest waves I’ve ever seen came crashing down on us, knocking us over and swallowing us up. The undertow was fierce and the current was pulling us toward the ocean with a powerful force. As determined as the water was to win, we were even more determined to live.
The tug-of-war happened fast, but I can now look back on it in slow motion. Reflecting on it, I have these observations.
- When threatened, the human body is an amazing machine. A Samson-like superpower kicks in. We are stronger than we realize. When the wave struck us, our adrenaline rushed in, giving us the muscle to claw into the sand and grab each other so tightly that no force could overcome us.
- When you think the end may be near, there’s a moment of awareness. Do I have any regrets, any unfinished business? Remarkably, I actually remember feeling that if this is the end, I am at peace. There’s great comfort in that.
- When the episode is over and the mind calms, it’s time for a serious life inventory. At this time in my life, what are my priorities, and am I devoting my time and energy to them? Have I properly prepared my loved ones to carry on without me? Are my affairs in order?
I already knew this, but after our close call, the message is now even more loud and clear: Live each day as if it could be your last. The Roman philosopher Seneca said it this way: “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day…. The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short on time.”
When I was a little boy, my aunt Gertie Miller used to say, “Tomorrow is not promised to us.” Now I know what she meant.
Marvin and Laurie Blum moments before a walk on the beach and almost being swallowed up by the ocean. Remarkably, although Marvin injured his left bicep, his phone died, and Laurie donated her hat to the sea, they emerged alive.
