If I Knew - Poem dedicated to appreciating those we love

Written by someonesomewhere

This beautiful poem, IF I KNEW…

(keep reading down) arrived anonymously via the ‘contact you’ form on this site. I don’t know who wrote it? Sad to have lost someone – let alone be filled with such knowledge of ‘lost opportunity’ mixed in with that sadness… Whoever it was who sent that email, please know that you are in my thoughts and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this poem to remind all of us of the fragility and preciousness of life.

Thank you.

Whatever the details, it’s so easy to rush through life, especially in today’s world. It’s so hard to ‘keep up’. As soon as you are disabled in some way, even temporarily, then suddenly you realize the insane pace and pressure that our society is used to: because you can no longer keep up…

I remember my family’s first vacuum cleaner - when I was a child. We believed it was such ‘progress’ and ‘so modern’ and it ‘freed us’ to do more meaningful work… Cleaning the carpets was no longer a valuable chance to spend the day working physically hard with someone and chatting (cleaning carpets was often a 2-person job) while you beat the carpets together. It was relegated to a ‘quick tidy’ - ‘after work’ or Saturday morning. Trouble is I think we forgot to include time in our new streamlined lives to just ‘be with’ someone else and be able to talk…

Our brave new world is now absolutely full of ‘time-saving’ conveniences. Even 7-year-olds have cellphones (sometimes). No longer do 7 and 8 year olds walk home from school, arm in arm with a friend, deep in thought. Maybe because it’s not safe? Or they have hockey or piano or gymnastics or basketball. I see gyms full of people sealed off from the world with headphones packing a day’s worth of exercise into 60 minutes. Every minute of our days is planned and we seem to have forgotten to schedule in some precious time to do nothing in particular…

No wonder there are so many unhappy, lonely people and one-parent families – where’s the time to form a precious relationship with a partner? Or at least make enough time to first create and then work to keep that special partnership alive? It takes time… No wonder our children are growing up not truly knowing their parents and listening to and pondering phrases of wisdom passed on through generations…

‘Being with’ someone is priceless. Listening to what’s in their heart and soul… Truly getting to know someone… Understanding what’s underneath their casual comment. Trust Oriented Therapy is a 'method' of counselling that includes 'being with' - one of the most important and valuable gifts we can give anyone...

Here is the beautiful poem, If I Knew…

Thank you ‘ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it – One Human to Another…

IF I KNEW…

If I knew it would be the last time

That I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly

and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time

that I see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more

If I knew it would be the last time

I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,

I would video tape each action and word,

so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time!

I could spare an extra minute

to stop and say 'I love you,'

instead of assuming you would know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time

I would be there to share your day,

Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,

so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow

to make up for an oversight,

and we always get a second chance

to make everything just right.

There will always be another day

to say 'I love you ,

'And certainly there's another chance to say our

'Anything I can do?'

But just in case I might be wrong,

and today is all I get,

I'd like to say how much I love you

and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,

young or old alike,

And today may be the last chance

you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,

why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes,

you'll surely regret the day...

That you didn't take that extra time

for a smile, a hug, or a kiss

and you were too busy to grant someone,

what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,

and whisper in their ear,

Tell them how much you love them

and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say 'I'm sorry,'

'Please forgive me,' 'Thank you,' or 'It’s okay.'

And if tomorrow never comes,

you'll have no regrets about today.

Anon - someonesomewhere

Here is a link too to a wonderful song sung by Eric Dozier and One Human Family choir called Today...

Here are the words:

Today, if we're blessed to see it.

Today, just reach out and seize it.

Don't let your sunshine slip away.

And fade to a yesterday that has come and gone

Cos we always have today...

Trials and tribulations, something that will always be

That's just a part of life, that everyone has to see

Hold on. Be strong. Stand still. Plant your weary feet

There's a blessing in Today.

And I know you want to see things change

Cos they're not the way they're supposed to be

But if you want to see a change

You got to be the change

In this world, that you hope to see

And it starts right now. Today.

This is the choir part (of which I am proud to be a member...)

Today, if we're blessed to see it.

Today, just reach out and seize it.

Don't let your sunshine slip away.

We always have today...