Slow Down-- Love Your Life

Life is Short

I received two e-mails on the same day containing the Slow Dance poem-- "written by a young girl dying of cancer."

Her dying wish --according to the e-mail-- is she wants to send a message out to all of us to live our life to the fullest--because life is short. 

Would You Listen If Slow Dance Wasn't Written by a Dying Girl?

A cynical side of me asked, 'What if this is a scam?' (The email includes a request for you to send the email to as many people as you can.) The trusting side replied, 'So what? The message is good--and we can all afford to listen to, and act on the message. 

So the old 'trust, but verify' ---turned into 'verify, but trust anyway' for me. I looked up 'Slow Dance Poem' on Snopes--and sure enough, this lovely poem wasn't written by a girl dying of cancer--it was written by a child psychologist, David L Weatherford. While I wasn't willing to forward the email to more people, I was willing to share the poem with you.

For me, the message in the poem is no less powerful. Slow down and enjoy your life NOW. Don't put off for tomorrow what you can appreciate and engage in today.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a

butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day

On the fly?

When you ask "How are you?"

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child,

We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last..

When you run

so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift....

Thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over.