“I'm losing it.

These were the final words spoken by the great singer, Frank Sinatra. The man who spent his life performing at sold-out theaters and proudly proclaiming he did it his way recognized at the end of his life that none of us are totally in control.

Emily Dickinson offered a more poetic reflection as death approached. She looked past those gathered in the room and spoke these words, "I must go in, the fog is rising."

"Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough."  Karl Marx shared this sentiment as he prepared to die. Even though he felt he’d said enough, they unintentionally became the last words he ever spoke.

Fools or not, at some point we all speak words which will become our last. Have you ever considered what your final words might be? Have you ever heard someone share theirs?  As we savor the last summer before taking our oldest son to college, I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on some last words shared with me. Let me explain.