Do As Much Good As You Can, As Long As You Can
This past week, a beloved person in my faith community died, and once again I was reminded of an enduring truth: life is short.
Whenever someone we know dies, we are invited to pause and remember that our days are a precious gift. We often imagine that we have plenty of time to love more deeply, forgive more readily, encourage another person, or make a difference in the world. Yet none of us knows when our last day on earth will come.
Rather than dwelling on death with fear, I find this awareness to be a gentle spiritual teacher. It calls me back to what matters most. If today were my last day, how would I choose to live? Whom would I thank? Whom would I embrace? What act of kindness would I offer? What words of love still need to be spoken?
This reflection brings to mind a simple life motto that has become even more meaningful to me:
"Do as much good as you can, as long as you can."
These words are not simply an inspiring quote. They are a way of life.
Every morning offers a new opportunity to be a blessing—to listen with compassion, to encourage someone who is struggling, to pray for those in need, to work for justice, to care for creation, or simply to bring a smile to another person's face. Small acts of goodness ripple outward in ways we may never fully know.
We cannot control how many days we are given, but we can choose how we live each one. The measure of our lives is not found in years alone, but in the love we have shared, the healing we have offered, and the hope we have inspired.
Today is God's gift to us. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
So let us live with grateful hearts, open hands, and generous spirits. Let us forgive quickly, love extravagantly, and serve joyfully.
May each day become an opportunity to leave our corner of the world a little more compassionate than we found it.
Do as much good as you can, as long as you can.
— Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan