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Cherish Every Moment You Have With Family and Friends
Life is too short to take relationships for granted
Just over a week ago, my wife and I said goodbye to her mom — as she labored in her breathing and was preparing to exit this life. My wife was unable to get a flight out that night. By the time she made it to her mom’s bedside the next day, her mom was gone.
The family will be gathering in a couple of weeks to pay tribute to her life and the 89-year legacy she leaves behind.
Her passing has led me to reflect on the number of relatives and dear friends I’ve lost over the course of my life — both my parents, both sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and multiple friends and colleagues.
One lesson sticks out…
Life is short. And we must not take any of it for granted.
Death is always tragic. It’s especially so when a life is cut short. The saddest funerals I’ve ever attended were those of children. I distinctly remember one for a baby who never made it out of the hospital. The word “tragic” doesn’t do justice to the pain of that baby’s parents and family.
And while there is some comfort when a person lives a “full life,” I would offer that such a death is also tragic. It may not be as emotionally jarring as a person…