Inspirational Poem-Live All Your Life

Thoughtful Thursday

This is a poem written by my Great Grandfather David Horton Elton.  He read an afterthought from a little nine year old girl on November 8, 1942,  she was writing a letter to her Uncle who was overseas at the time.  She had written in her letter about normal things, family, friends, school, lessons and the dog and then after she signed her name she wrote "May You Live All Your Life".   After reflecting on those words my Great Grandfather wrote this:

"Live All Your Life"

Is a challenge to live,
A challenge to get,
And a challenge to give,
A challenge to be,
And a challenge to do,
A challenge to me,
And a challenge to you.

"Live all your life"
Don't just live a part,
For living requires,
Soul, Conscience, and Heart.
Live, while you live,
Don't just walk around
An unburied corpse
Encumbering the ground.

"Live all your life"
In whatever estate.
Live for a purpose,
Live to create.
Live to impart,
Live to receive,
Live to have faith,
To trust and believe.

"Live all your life"
Is the clarion call,
For old, and for young,
For great and for small.
In Sunshine, or shadow,
In silence, or strife,
Here's a little girl's blessing:
"May you live all your life".
--David Horton Elton

This rings true to my heart today, Jeffrey R. Holland said " Don't wait to live. This isn't a rehearsal; this isn't a dry run; this isn't a pre-performance routine.  This is it. This is real life.  Don't wait. Savor every minute".  I think so many times we get busy planning, and doing and moving onto what's next and we forget to stay present in the moment and enjoy each other and what we are doing right now.  I love teaching group fitness because my goal is to help them be in the moment with the people who are in the room right at that time and enjoy each others presence, energy, movement and the great blessing it is to move and be alive!  May you take a moment today, take a deep cleansing breath and just be alive in the moment.