A woman named Candy Chang was feeling deeply sad after losing someone dear to her. To help her cope with her grief, she got permission to paint the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans with chalkboard paint. On it, she stenciled the beginning of a sentence many times, “Before I die, I want to _______.”  She left pieces of chalk for people walking by to stop and reflect on their lives and complete that sentence for themselves. Within a day, the wall was filled with people’s dreams: hold my grandchild, sing for millions, travel the world, make a difference, and so many more. After posting photos of the wall on line, her idea took off with people across the globe and now there are walls like Candy’s in over 70 countries. One of those walls is right here in St. Petersburg!

How important it is to acknowledge that our lives are finite and to speak our truth about the yearnings and hopes and dreams which animate and inspire us. May our acquaintance with death embolden us to break out of the mundane and routine and live the lives to which our hearts are calling us.

How would YOU complete that sentence?  Have a great week, everyone!

Jim