You don’t know what you have till it is gone ..
Since my brother died last year, death, funerals and the fragility of life have taken on a special and raw meaning to me. It doesn’t take too much to get me teary eyed when I think about the memories and moments in life that won’t be shared with him. His son turning 21 this month, was just one of those milestones. Richard would have loved any excuse to have a party and a beer, and of course tell a joke or two in celebration.
Attending two funeral recently, one a work colleague and the other, a best friend’s mum are all the reminders that I need, to continue to cherish, love and take time for family and friends. We are lucky in New Zealand to live a life that is relatively safe and be in a country far enough away from fractions of countries at war. The television, newspapers, and general media populate our minds with images and stories of life at its most vulnerable. What happened in Paris recently, the innocent lives taken not just there, but in all parts of the globe are all the reminders that we need; life is precious.
Living with the loss of a loved one isn’t easy. The cliche ‘You don’t know what you have until it is gone’ is so true. Life isn’t about being lucky. Life is about taking chances and being happy and grateful for what you have.
Life is very precious. But it’s also sad that it often takes the untimely or seemingly senseless death of a loved one to make us appreciate what we have. These days I try to live more in the moment, to appreciate what I have, and the people who mean much to me. I work hard on not “sweating the small stuff” and letting go of petty hurts and slights. In the scheme of things, they mean nothing at all! It’s so sad Richard didn’t get to celebrate his sons 21st with him, but I’m sure he was there in spirit. Love the photo of you both – you both look so happy and a little bit mischevious!
You are so right that we need to live in the moment and that stressing doesn’t achieve anything – except maybe more grey hairs (which I don’t need). Life seemed so much easier when you are younger… Richard would be so proud of Stefan and memories will last forever. Me and Rich were always up to something – him being the naughty one of course. xx