‘Remember tomorrow may be too late’ Personal reminiscence

by Eileen Cummings

My name is Eileen Cummings. I live at the top of McKies Hill. This is an area where thousands of people bustle to and fro’ – to school, to work, to recreation daily.

My father and mother lived in a quaint little house on this hill. My father was obsessed with the caring of his animals; he took care of his horses, cows and dogs with much diligence. {{more}}

We were always treated very early in the morning to a nice bubbling pail of fresh milk, which he drew from the cow himself.

He had a sleek black dog which he called Whiskey and who speeded in answer to Dad’s whistle to a delicious bowl of sweet smelling food placed nicely on the ground for easy execution. Whiskey also guarded him every moment, just in case there was trouble.

Now let me come to the chief subject of my deliberation. My attention was drawn to the hundreds of times the word LATER was used. It was used religiously by children, adults and elderly persons over and over again. It had become the melody of the hill. Some parents used it after a child reminded them of the book they promised to buy; some as they took the last breath fighting the hill; some as they tried to catch an already moving car and jump.

No, I think that human beings were made for wise thinking and should not allow themselves to be controlled by inanimate things. Don’t you?

An incident just came to my mind; I got up from the chair in which I was sitting to reach for a pen. I suddenly heard a small, excited voice say to her father, “Daddy the lady is not there.”

I looked out and saw the child and her father in the car and heard him say to the child, “Don’t worry dear, later.”

Now I had a very devoted mother. At a very early age she placed my little hands in the hands of God and advised me to always try to follow Him for the rest of my life. She did not have wealth to pass on to me, but up to today I think it was the greatest gift she gave to me and I love her dearly for it.

Now to you my friend who had the word later as a guardian angel, I invite you to take a walk with me through the journey of life.

As I cast my eyes across the sky, I see the beautiful green hills before me with several cluttered houses wrapped in its embrace. Lovely fluffy bits of clouds floating across the beautiful blue sky and the shining blue sea water beating on the rocks below. In the night I see myriads of beautiful twinkling stars shining in the sky.

I am journeying and I am on my stairway to heaven. Soft breezes are blowing and there is an atmosphere of holiness and peace and certainly there is something wonderful out there and up into the place above, there is someone wonderful to love.

Won’t you like to go with me into eternal glory? Please shout with me and sing Hallelujah to our God and King. No. No. Not LATER; today is the acceptable moment. Tomorrow may be too late.