Little Accomplishments = A Great Big Life

 I just watched the episode of ER when Dr Mark Greene dies; when Dr John Carter sits with an old man who's dying.  I was sad.  That's not exactly correct.  Watching the show made me sad. And maybe that's not all of it.  Watching this particular episode sometimes brings up thoughts about dying, the dying process, and those in my family who have already died.  

And then I watched an episode of 7th Heaven where Chandler Hampton needs to make peace with is father who is dying of lung cancer.  Father and son have never seen eye to eye, but despite their personal feelings about each other, they somewhat make their peace with each other.

All these shows bring up a wide mix of feelings inside me.  At my age, you begin to think about your own mortality.  Like the man Dr Carter was sitting with, who says "I could have done more.  I should have done more."  

But what would that more be? 

What can each of us do in our lives that would give us contentment when we're near the end?  Is it something that you've done? or something more you can do ?  When we're young, we have plans, we accomplish some of them, but never all of them.  Plans change every day and with every change in our lives, our plans change.  

But I think these feelings would be easier to deal with in the long run if we started looking more at the short term.  Make small goals each week or each month, to do something positive.  Doing these things are the important part, but its also important to remember those things we did, and how they made us feel.  That's the part that will help us deal with those questions at the end, remembering our little accomplishments, each one of them.   

Lots of people start a gratitude jar.  It's good to recognize that we're grateful for a house, or a job.  But why not take it a step further?  Why not write down the little accomplishments in a journal.  Just think what it could do for you if someone in your family could read them to you when you're nearing the end?  Or even better, how much more would your family members know about you after reading them - - even if they discovered the book after you're gone?  

Little accomplishments turn into a great big life!  So go out and live it!