Live Like You Were Dying

September is an interesting month for me. I am in a show at a Casino. The Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls Ontario. The show is Country Classics! I am really enjoying my time...i get to sing a whole bunch of songs, I have never sung before, and my never sing again. Songs like, "Hey Good Lookin" "Your Cheatin Heart" "Islands in the Stream" and LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING...

I have 15 songs in total and the show is 90 minutes...but I will never forget the moment that was created when I sang LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING yesterday!! WOW...

OK - I was excited when I realized that I was going to be able to sing the song, LIVE...
I love the song, and it's kind of a MOMENT type song. I the found out, that my cousin, who is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, had a "bucket list" and on this list was skydiving! A couple weeks ago, HE WENT SKYDIVING!! My cousin is living the song out in real life!! Well the song became a little more real for me as I was learning it, and thought about him a little as i sung it over and over and over!! and over and over...you get the picture! (the lyirc, if you do not know says, "I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing...i hope you get the chance, to LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING!)

Well, yesterday, with NO ADVANCE warning...he showed up! Now I am not that close to this cousin because he is older, and has lived away from my town for most of his life...I have seen him on and off and our families are close but we have not had the privilege of spending a lot of time together...BUT HE IS FAMILY!! When we do see each other it is always a good thing!

Well yesterday as I was singing, I was so excited to see him but was anticipating my response to the BIG song...

I gotta tell ya, i never anticipated the response that HE gave as well as my emotional response...I will NEVER forget the first chorus...I sang "I went skydiving..." and my cousin stood up, with his hands in the air and was cheering!! (i am crying as i write this!) I was totally blown away!!! I will never forget the emotional connection that this one song gave me to a cousin that is truly living like he is dying!!! The pure joy he gave me, the pure joy of life he shows, the pure joy for just living for the moment...I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT, when DON BISHOP gave me a gift that no amount of money could ever buy...he showed what living is all about!!!

I love you DON!!!!! Your courage, Your heart and YOUR JOY FOR LIFE will be a memory I will cherish forever!!

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