It wasn’t until my Dad’s death a few years back; I was hit hard with the realization that Life is transient. We all come with an expiry date. Before, I would work for 16-17 hours a day. My weekends would be spent working, presentations, spreadsheets, analysis. I remember, autumn of the year he passed away, he called me home to see him. He was shuttling between home & hospital because of his illness. My sister met him along with my nephew went to see him. Everybody went to see him, except me as I had very less time to finish the projects. I told my dad I will see him by the Christmas. But illness got better of him, and I lost my Dad just around Christmas.

I was lost after he was gone. And after some days, while at work, when everybody left, I had this excruciating pain inside me. The thought that I can’t see him, hear him, hug him. made me feel numb. I could not breathe as if there is a huge lump. I knew how much I may try, I can’t get him back.

My father would always say Live, Love, and Laugh. Eventually, I realized what it meant, to Live- Live the moment, Love- to be in love (and to be able to Love) and Laugh- with all your heart. Not that I did not know this before. But it was my father who made rethink- Nothing’s permanent! This time will not come back again.

We take our time here for granted. There’s no guarantee for anything! We run behind superficial things that do not count.  What matters are the relationships, our loved ones, our friends, our families. It is those moments that we spend with them that counts. We put them on the back burner and concentrate on our work, earning money, networking. We create this false air around to think, How important We are! We miss birthdays, anniversaries, never go for that dream holiday and I am sure the list is a long one. But the time, that moment never comes, because we are just busy. What we keep forgetting this time will be gone.

I tell people when they don’t take time off from work or whatever keeps them tied up: ‘You are replaceable at work, if you don’t do it, someone else will get hired, someone else will get that urgent project. The company never stops. But remember, you are IRREPLACEABLE at home. Nobody can fill your absence at home.

As for me, I found love eventually, got married and moved to a new country, and realized life’s a celebration. We should celebrate every day for the life we got, for the love we have in our lives. So that when I look back I won’t have regrets that I wish I could spend some more time.

🙂

Love

Advertisement