Castles In the Sand

Life, I have found, is but a handful of sand;
as you try to hold on, it slips from your hand.
Precious moments are rare, few, and fleeting.
So put your whole heart into each goodbye or greeting.
You can never know which first will be your last,
or which moment is best until the moment has passed.
Whose life will you touch by the smallest of deeds?
Which smile or handshake will fulfill someone’s needs?
You will never predict how or who you will have affected,
or whose life or heart your kind words have protected.
Your kindest thoughts, good deeds, or words,
will somehow by someone be known, seen, or heard.
They may be the only light on someone’s darkest day,
or may inspire another someone, in some simple way.
The smallest gesture may be the biggest difference one day,
to someone deciding between the “right” or “wrong” way.
Who will you inspire today, or in a series of tomorrows?
In whose life will your kindness remove mountains of sorrows?
The best moments and their effects cannot be planned,
but with kindness and thought can be castles in “The Sand.” 

Keith E. Gerber