Seven Words

Make the most of your time here.

The New York Times alert that lit my phone midday today stopped me in my tracks.  Amy Krouse Rosenthal, the writer who just ten days ago, broke so many of our hearts with her Modern Love story about her husband, had died.  While I had known her children’s books for years, I knew nothing about her until ten days ago, when her column made me suddenly want to learn everything about her.

A writer and a maker, Amy left a mark on this world.  She offered pragmatic wisdom galore in her kids’ books, adult books, and film projects.  And as I’ve sifted through it, one piece really stuck out.  It’s the conclusion of a TEDx talk she gave in 2010, where she asked the audience to think about what their seven-word message might be.  What was possible to convey in just seven words?  Everything, it turns out.

Amy’s seven words: Make the most of your time here.

These couldn’t be any more fitting.  This woman truly crammed LIFE into her days.  And among so many other things, she inspired me, a fellow writer, maker, and mother to take a few minutes to take stock of my own life.  Her short, ten-day stint in my life has made me want to hug my kids tighter, run a little longer, and soak up a little more sunshine.  I don’t have a seven-word message yet — maybe it’ll be something like  “Get outside and explore that beautiful world.”

But for today, my only seven words are Your words and soul live on, Amy.  RIP.