A Reminder to Embrace Life

I was just working on this website, adding a new Resources page for my newsletter archive, articles and links, when I was suddenly reminded of the importance of embracing life every day. This happens to me reasonably often, because I think about Ann Nelson frequently. As I was posting an article about her on the new page, I had to stop for a moment and contemplate her life, and mine.

Ann was a victim of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. One of the many good, bright, shining people who had their life cut tragically short that day. Ann was a college acquaintance - a friend of sorts, but not close enough that I feel right about claiming her friendship posthumously. She was like a sister to one of my closest friends, but I did not know her very well back then and now I often regret not making the effort to know her better. I certainly regret that she did not have a chance to live out every entry on her Life List - a list she kept of her top 100 life goals. The story of Ann’s Life List made major papers and was the cause of appearances by her parents on the talk-show circuit.

When one reads Ann’s life goals (see the Articles section of my Resources page), it is immediately apparent what kind of person she was. Every time I read about her and what she deemed most important, it brings tears to my eyes but simultaneously inspires me to be a better person, live a better life. To simply live life. When I think of her story I am compelled to share it, because it speaks to me and because she would have wanted it that way. She would be proud that a personal and seemingly innocuous list found on her computer would touch people around the country and around the world the way it has. If it inspires someone to call their parents more, book that ticket to someplace they always wanted to see, appreciate the life they have, well, then her death was not quite as senseless as it seems.

And so I ask you: What is on your Life List? Who do you want to be? What action are you going to take today to achieve that? Ann would not want you to wait one more day...