I wasn’t planning on doing this post but something happened that made me change my mind.
Last night I received some devastating news. My first cousin, whom I spent many summer holidays with as a child passed away at the age of 37.
Although he had suffered from epilepsy for a few years he had been generally fit and healthy.
Bereavement and death are difficult subjects in any circumstances, but especially so when the person who is lost was seemingly in the prime of their life.
The sad thing is that he lived alone as he was separated from his wife and young son.
As a result nobody was with him when he passed away — in some ways perhaps that is the most troubling part.
Had someone been there they might have been able to save him, but unfortunately by the time he was found he was already dead.
To add to the tragic circumstances he was found by his little sister.
I am still in total shock really.
I am just going through the motions of doing things as normal because it just doesn’t seem real.
We get so caught up in our own issues that we lose sight of others far too easily. Once we get into our 20s it is so easy to lose track of friends and people we grew up with.
Life seems so busy that we keep putting things off.
“We will have to do that next month” or “Some other time.”
We cancel or postpone meeting up because of work or other things. – Things which are not significant in the grander scheme of life.
We slowly drift apart and becoming strangers out of convenience. — This is one of the tragedies of modern life.
Career, work and other considerations can wait. Life and ultimately death, do not.
We all have a set amount of time and you can’t really buy more once it is too late.
-If you have a friend, relative or other loved one that you haven’t seen in a while — remember that fact.
Once people are dead, they are gone forever and you can’t get the opportunities to see them or connect with them back.
One of the greatest comforts during bereavement is knowing that you made the most of the time you had with your loved one.
The time is ticking for all of us and none of us get the luxury of being able to turn back the clock back.
Make the most of friends and relatives while they are here so you don’t have regrets when they are gone.
– You don’t want to find out they died from a Facebook update.
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All uncredited images are taken from my personal Thinkstock Photography account. More information can be provided on request.
Originally published at medium.com