Today I had a short burst of PAT - the kind that used to really scare me. Out of nowhere, my heart just started to giddyup, going from about 60bpm to around 110 or so.

A couple months ago that would have ruined my day. Maybe my week. But now? It makes me thankful.

Sounds crazy, but it does. I still can't help but to reflect a little on my life when I have these short bursts, but instead of being terrified that death is imminent, I remember what my cardiologist told me.

That my heart was still firing as it should, just that it was going fast.

That my heart was still pumping oxygenated blood through my body.

That I could go on for days with a heart rhythm like this without there being any lasting effects.

That I could not die from this.

And then I remember how great I have it - I have a wonderful wife, two kids that I love very, very much. We have a great house and a big yard, and though the economic times now are not making things easy on us, we're still doing ok.

But it also serves as a reminder that life is short.

Nando Parrado was one of the real-life survivors portrayed in the movie "Alive," a story about a group of passengers whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains, where they were forced to eat some of their fellow (deceased) passengers to survive.

One of Nando's most famous quotes, and I guess it's a common one where he lives, is "Eat every sandwich. Kiss every girl."

There's another one from the movie Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living, or get busy dying."

I usually think about both after I have those short bursts of PAT. Reminds me that my stay here is not guaranteed, so I'd better get to the business of devouring every minute.

So, yeah. I'm thankful that I get these reminders to make the most of what I have.