The present moment is a window of opportunity that opens and allows a connection to eternity through the observance of mitzvos. The story of the Vilna Gaon, who shed tears and kissed his Tzitzit, just a few moments before his passing,  saying that here in this world, eternal life can be acquired for just a few pennies, and in the next world this action can no longer be performed and only what we have done here remains with us forever.