So many times when the topic of death is brought up, people get uncomfortable. Depending on how they define death it may be a scary, depressing, or comforting. For me I think about death everyday and sometimes several times a day. Why? Because of what death has taught me.
My first encounter with death was when my best friend was killed in a car accident. What this horrific accident taught me was that life is not a guarantee. That getting from point A to point B is not a sure thing and most importantly, it showed me just how precious a human life truly is.
My second encounter with death was when my father lost his battle with cancer. This was a big loss for me and my family. He was as cliche as it sounds, our rock. My mother and him had an amazing love for each other. The kind of relationship that you see in the movies and it devastated me to watch them have to say good-bye, prematurely. What I learned from my fathers passing was that each moment needs to be savored. That each day is a gift and a blessing to be cherished.
There may never be a tomorrow so we need to embrace what we have right now. When I lay down at night I don’t know if I will have a chance to do it better the next day. I don’t want to take life for granted because it is fragile and not guaranteed.
I guess the point I am trying to get at is this: What death has taught me is to live in the moment and be present. I don’t want to autopilot parent, perform my wifely duties on autopilot, or exist in a semi numb state of being. I want to live! Because the realty is, we will never get this moment back…
Go embrace your time!