Humans typically do not make major changes in their life without meeting the precipice of adversity. Breakups make us get in shape, new jobs make us work harder, children re-prioritize our lives, etc. In similar fashion, we seldom stop to appreciate what we have until some type of loss forces us to recognize what is truly important. Until something comes along and knocks us sideways, we may continue straight away with ridiculously unjustifiable grudges.
Very recently, a friend of mine who is one year younger than I passed away suddenly. This was one of my roommates in Arizona 16 years ago. Now, him and I lost touch just because life happened so it is not like we were close but when a life ends too young, it still hits close to home. For those of you that have heard my epic tale of a road trip to Mexico, he was our driver. He was a husband, a father, a successful entrepreneur from what I gather and undoubtedly from what I have seen on social media he was loved by so many it's almost overwhelming to thing think how much he is missed by so many.
When you get the news that death touches tragically, those blinders I mentioned earlier fall away quickly. You begin to think of what is truly important to you and reconnect with your own mortality and it will make you look at things differently. A once great friend of mine that I had a falling out with almost 20 years ago also got the news that this man passed away. We have since began to speak again, finally burying the hatchet we let divide us so long ago. It is a shame it took something like this but I will not discredit the message because of the vehicle that forced it to arrive.
What else was I reminded of in the wake of this loss? Aside from that friendship that I am working to currently reconcile, I think back on the last two year repeat loop that my heart was on and realize...
Life is too short for me to hold onto the time when I had feelings for someone who no longer reciprocates them, so I have let them go.
Life has too much beauty in it for someone to spew ugly words at me because I broke their heart so I will simply appreciate their source with a warm smile.
Life has too many options for us so I will no longer pursue ones that do not benefit me.
Lastly, life has proven again that it is too fucking fragile for us to not appreciate what is currently whole and beautiful, set before us.
Carpe diem, my friends. The sun shines on another day tomorrow. You owe it to your finite nature to make the most of it.
