By Don Kenton Henry
Sun rise or sun set, it’s hard to know which is best
A day of honest labor, or one of rest
A day begun or day done, like a song to be written or a song sung
A spring breeze or a winter’s blast
A first love . . . or a last
Which would you choose
A life still young or the bountiful life of a well lived one
A passed test, or a failure’s lesson
Each day’s end can provide a different answer, each dawn a different mission
Each one a picture painted by two hands, one yours and one unseen
One sets the scene
One lives the dream
Life consists of broad brush strokes . . . graduations, war, peace, marriage, births of children, death of parents
Interspersed with deft dabs and flecks of tears and laughter
Life’s a song and you’re the dancer
Take it, seize it
Grasp it, feel it
Live it honest and live it strong
Breathe life in and hold it long … for in one breath out, all will be gone
Life consists of measured brush strokes, a few bad choices and sometimes starting over
Two hands … one brush … one canvas
One life painted
Let the child live in a child’s world
Help him catch the frog and the pollywog
Tell him kiss the girl with the ribbon and curls
And tell him how you set all three free … when you were a lad as young as he
Let him play with the puppy and rest his tired head on the old dog
He’ll come to know each brings a separate treasure and, in these moments, his life will be measured
Take it, seize it
Grasp it, feel it
Live it honest and live it strong
Breathe life in and hold it long … for in one breath out, all will be gone
Life consists of measured brush strokes, a few bad choices and sometimes starting over
Two hands … one brush … one canvas
One life painted
And, in the end, you’ll ask yourself
Did my sun come up more than it went down
And did my life bring more smiles than it did frowns
And the answer to the first is … no greater than one more or less, one than the other
For that was played by the unseen hand
But the answer to the second shall be answered by others
Brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and lovers
And strangers benefited by unexpected of random acts of kindness
Take it, seize it
Grasp it, feel it
Live it honest and live it strong
Breathe life in and hold it long … for in one breath out, all will be gone
Life consists of measured brush strokes, a few bad choices and sometimes starting over
Two hands … one brush … one canvas
One life painted
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