It’s customary when we say goodbye to someone, either in person or on the phone, to say something along the lines of “Talk soon,” or “See you soon.” We make an assumption that we will see each other again. We assume that tomorrow will be there. But what other choice do we have? We can’t add on a qualifier, like “See you soon unless something happens to one of us.” Or “Talk soon, unless I die in my sleep tonight.” Not only is that eerie, but if you’re superstitious like me, you won’t want to jinx yourself or anyone else, or throw those off-putting vibes into the universe. So, we carry on with our day and our life, making plans for tomorrow and for when we will see or speak to each other again.
The sad flip side of that is some people won’t make it to tomorrow, as bad things do happen every day. But as humans, we try our best to stay on the positive side of life. Even if someone is gravely ill, we still hold onto optimistic hopes that things will turn around for them. We still tell them we’ll see them soon, or that we’ll talk to them tomorrow. We try to pass our hope and optimism onto them, hoping fate will hear our words and see to it that we do have many more moments together.
None of us has a crystal ball. All we can do is embrace today and plan for tomorrow and the future, even though we don’t know what that will bring. As the saying goes, “Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”
Do We Really Know?
We stood and said goodbye
And hugged each other tight.
We said we’d see each other soon,
Then your plane flew out of sight.
I pondered when we’d meet again
As the days, they come and go.
We assume our lives will intersect,
But do we really know?
When we lie down in bed at night
After setting our alarm,
We assume that sleep will deliver us
To the morning with no harm.
We give in to our dreams,
And allow our breath to slow.
We expect that we will greet the morn,
But do we really know?
Do we really know
When we meet for morning tea
If the day will be a good one,
Or end in tragedy?
Do we really know
When we toast with our red wine,
Will this be the last time
You clink your glass with mine?
Is this the last time that we’ll laugh
Until our bellies ache?
Will this year be the final count
Of candles on our cake?
Will this be our last goodbye
Or final photograph?
Will this be the only time
We cross each other’s path?
We believe our lives will be long
And filled with love and laughter.
We hope that fate will bring to us
The happiness we’re after.
We wish the same good fortune
On our family and our friends.
We hope that life will treat us well
Until the very end.
We hope that when the winds do blow,
We can hold on safe and strong.
We wish for trust and faith
To carry us along.
We pray for peace and safety
No matter where we travel.
We hope our luck remains intact
And that our lives do not unravel.
We carry this good sentiment
Everywhere we go,
And believe that things will turn out well . . .
But do we really know?
