Redeem the Time!

One thing you learn from cancer, or any other major life challenge is that time is precious and fleeting. Life hiccups and headaches have a way of reminding us that we are indeed fragile and despite marketing's best attempts to convince us otherwise, nothing this side of heaven lasts forever.

We Boomer's have always loved our music. And because we stretch across some critical years of music genre, most of us have eclectic listening tastes, which I think is a good thing. Boomers really tend to identify with their music. The soft rock duo of Seals & Crofts was one of several groups in the 70's that cranked out what became known as the "California sound" (e.g., Poco; Bread; America; The Eagles; Michael Martin Murphy, etc.), even though many like Seals & Crofts weren't even from California. The sound emphasized soulful vocal harmonies driven by an acoustic guitar sound, with easy going melodies and relative lyrics.

James Seals and Dash Crofts wrote hits like: Diamond Girl; Summer Breeze; I'll Play For You; and, Get Closer. On their 1971 album, "Diamond Girl," another hit appeared in addition to the title cut called, "We May Never Pass This Way Again." While the lyrics are about a couple, the song sends a strong message about the value of our days, hours and minutes. Here's a snippet:

So, I wanna laugh while the laughin' is easy. I wanna cry if it makes it worthwhile.
We may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you.
'Cause, you make me feel like I'm more than a friend. Like I'm the journey and you're the journey's end.
We may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you, baby.

We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again.
We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again.

(lyrics by James Seals; music by James Seals & Dash Crofts, 1973)

So my friends, redeem the time you have with your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, family, friends, small group, pets, church, etc. Make the most of every day and squeeze every ounce you can get out of them and do it with gratitude, because who knows, we may never pass this way again!