Gone Too Soon

I used to wince growing up as my family watched TV and my dad would point to the old black and white TV and say, "That movie is full of dead people!" He was raised in the 1930s and 40s, and all of his movie heroes were getting up in age by the 1960s. He'd also look at old photos like Lincoln's 2nd inauguration and say something similar. The eerie thing about Lincoln's photo is that every single person walking and breathing in that picture is truly dead--no exaggeration!

Yesterday I saw that Clarence Clemons, the iconic sax player for Bruce Springsteen, succumbed to a massive stroke over the weekend. He was 69. The beginning of June carried some sad news to many, myself included, that singer/songwriter Andrew Gold, 59, died of a heart attack in his sleep. Gold was a musical hero of mine and is best known for writing "Lonely Boy." I followed him years before as he became the wunderkind multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Linda Ronstadt's band in the 70s. Just a few years ago another personal hero, Dan Fogelberg, passed away too soon at 56 from complications relating to prostate cancer--an illness he had been battling for some time. I am understanding my father more and more lately as I witness the demise of folks from my generation.

It makes one think about mortality and the promises we heard in school like "we can be all we want to be." The sad thing is most of the folks who pass away relatively young probably weren't ready to go; they had more dreams to fulfill and more songs and records to record. One thing I know for sure, we are never promised tomorrow. Some of us, like my dad, are blessed to live long lives (85 this year!). My grandmother lived to be almost 100. Sadly, my mother passed away at the young age of 67. No one knows the day or the time.

Life is finite...at least here on earth. I believe in eternal life after death, though--that God exists and a real heaven awaits those who are redeemed in Christ. I know that seems old-fashioned to some reading this, but I really have a deep, anchored trust that when it is my time, I will pass into eternity with my Lord. A Christian isn't guaranteed a longer life than a non-Christian. But the Bible does teach that if we live good, faith-filled lives--trusting in God for our future and being content in Him--we can make provision for our lives and enjoy the resultant health benefits of a positive attitude (Proverbs 17:22, 1 Timothy 6:6).

Even with all that being said, I am saddened when I read of the deaths of life-long heroes. Most of my musical mentors are 10 years older than me; that puts them in their sixties these days. But even as death is real and possibly eminent, I want to live my life to the fullest, even to the end.

Thanks for the music Clarence, Andrew and Dan. Your lives have certainly enriched mine!