David Foster is a renowned music composer. Over the course of his long and very distinguished life, he has won sixteen Grammy Awards and holds 45 Grammy nominations that span from the 1970s to the present day. David Foster has been married 5 times and has 6 children—he has spent a few spins around the sun. David has collaborated with an astonishing array of singers and writers, from Paul Anka to Al Jarreau, Barbra Streisand to Chicago, Celine Dion to Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Loggins, Josh Groban, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Madonna, Alice Cooper, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael Buble, Seal, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Whitney Huston, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Paul McCarthney, Quincy Jones, Stevie Nicks, Neil Diamond, Dionne Warwick, and on and on. A truly astonishing array of talent.
As David entered his 70s, he married a much younger singer, Katharine McPhee. It was around this time that David gave an interview that I think is worth examining. Around halfway through the interview, David answered the interviewer’s question with a question of his own: David looked toward the camera and asked, “How many summers do I have left?” When I initially heard it, I didn’t think too much about it. But that simple sentence hung out there for me. The thought echoed, followed me, and made me reflect. How many summers do I have left?
I didn’t view this question as a threat or as a countdown clock. And I didn’t feel this rush to run to the nearby religious confessional. But it did get me thinking about time—how much of it do I have left, how have I spent it so far, how will I spend what remains? I reflected on the summers I have already lived. The weekends spent down the shore. The days I spent at the zoo with my kids.
Let me be clear: the stated purpose of this column isn’t to depress; rather, it is an invitation to take action and take ownership of an opportunity. I hope to spark real thought about the fulfilling life that is ahead and to encourage everyone to do everything in their power to achieve it—to find joy within each minute of each day.
When you think about the summers past, do you think about the ones that slipped through your fingers? The moments that feel tainted by negativity? By the anger you harbored for people who were once prominent in your life? Or by the hatred you had for yourself for mistakes you made when you were just trying to survive. The moments you rushed through because your thought the next one would be better. The summers when you put off that dream vacation because you needed to save more money.
The purpose of this column is to convey that there is no guarantee of a next one. This notion should help you think about the life you’ve already lived, but more importantly, the life that remains ahead. Too many of us have lived with the weight of negativity saddled upon us, letting it prevent us from enjoying the here and now. You don’t get extra time from carrying additional burdens. You don’t get a medal for holding onto bitterness. You don’t get more time for refusing to forgive. You get tired. Life is too short to be tired.
So how many summers do you have left? The truth is, it doesn’t matter. This summer—yes, this summer right now—is not a placeholder. It is not a dress rehearsal. It is not a warm-up. This is the real thing. So now what? Go live it like it’s your last. Some tips for doing just that:
Live each minute with joy in your heart.
Laugh louder and with greater frequency.
Forgive quicker.
Show kindness to a stranger.
Take that bucket list trip.
Go see that friend or family member that you have avoided for years.
Go buy something unexpected for that loved one.
Time to live life with a finite number of summers left.