Today I had my annual physical.  During my conversation with the doctor, he indicated that they were pretty rattled in the office because one of the doctors died a few weeks ago.  He was forty-six years old.  Had a heart attack but there was no indication of a heart problem prior to his death.  That sobering thought puts a clearer focus on how very important it is to appreciate the gift of each moment we are able to enjoy.  I live near two hospitals so the sound of ambulance sirens is pretty common.  I often wonder if it's the "last ride" for the person in the back of the ambulance.   Our lives can change so quickly but yet I try to hold onto my normal routine as if I could sprinkle some sort of fairy dust to keep things they way I would like them to be.  But this conveyor belt of a life I am living keeps me moving through changing environments, shifting relationships, deteriorating physical abilities in spite of my best efforts to delay the process.  And the sad part of it all is that I rarely cherish the moment, I'm so focused on running away from something or toward something and I forget that life is really lived in the moment.