Carpe Diem: Look outside - is the sun shining?

I was talking with my mum on the day she got her cancer diagnosis. That was just over three weeks ago. She died four days later - way sooner than we expected. But on that Thursday we were filled with the thrill that comes with the challenge of sucking the most out of every day. We thought she'd have a few weeks - maybe months. We wanted to sit in the sun, feel the freshness of spring, maybe.

I told mum that some people can go for twenty years and never appreciate the fact that the sun is shining. I showed her a photo I took the night before. We vowed to get out and enjoy some sun before mum died.

We didn't get to it. Mum and myself walked in fields of gold - metaphorically - for years before she died. But I wouldn't have minded to share a sunset like this with mum. Man plans and God laughs.

But we can choose to feel the sun now. There is no perfect time to go missing - to take the time to feel the sun on your face or the wind in your hair. Somebody will be disappointed. But who are you living for?

I'm going missing, to skydive with friends tomorrow. I won't just feel the wind, I'll be the wind. I will have stolen a few moments for me. All of my obligations will still be there the day after tomorrow.

I suppose the challenge is to suck to most out of every day, and not piss too many people off as we do it.