Last week, I was mindlessly going through the motions during my regularly scheduled programming (work, parenthood, etc.) when everything was suddenly interrupted with the news that my grandmother had been hospitalized. At first, it didn’t sound like her diagnosis was that big of a deal. Maybe I was just hoping for that. But just in the span of a few days, she was no longer with us. She passed away at the age of 84.
I loved her dearly but I didn’t tell her nearly enough. She was an ever-present figure in my life, from the very moment I was born, her first grandchild. She was always quick to remind me that she was the first person to hold me after I was born.
She lived a great life and did not waste a single moment. She was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known and always greeted strangers like they were family.
She married my grandfather after comically leading him on for several years. They had three children together. My grandfather passed away when I was very young, but he remained her one and only love in all the years after his death, never once entertaining the idea of remarrying.
She enjoyed traveling on many bus trips with her friends, many of whom she had been friends with since childhood. She would often tell me how her group of friends sadly kept shrinking, as she had outlived many of them.
She had an interesting taste in literature, as I would always find her reading some new spicy western romance novel! She also enjoyed going to the hairdresser every week, even though she never really had anyone to impress or important to meet, yet she still went, like clockwork.
She lived a life of purpose as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. I don’t believe she left this world with any regrets about the life she lived and the beautiful family she created.
In her final moments, she remained steadfast in her wishes not to be hooked up to machines, knowing she didn’t want to suffer further and her body had given its all.
Her life ended the way she lived it, admirably, upon her own terms, surrounded by family. She left behind two children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
One thing she always did best was keep our family together. She always reminded you of the family tree, who you hadn’t spoken to recently but needed to talk to, and when you needed to work harder to get along with certain members of the family. Our family was everything to her, and I have a feeling that even after she’s gone, her memory alone will still manage to keep our family together.
It just goes to show how certain things in life are valued much higher than they should be. Money would be positioned atop this category. We work such long, grueling hours to gain more money, to be able to buy more things, yet the whole process of doing so prevents us from spending time with family and often drains our energy even when we are finally able to enjoy that personal time at home. What could possibly be more valuable than love, family, and the time we have left to share with those we love most?
Life is too short to waste our precious time clouded by this state of perpetual anxiety, worrying and stressing over the most minute, unimportant, trivial details of our day to day lives. It’s easy to forget that any day could be our last. My grandmother’s sudden passing was a somber reminder of that. It’s so easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone, as I’ve recently felt like I’ve been sleepwalking through life, simply hoping for a better tomorrow, struggling to get through the days due to stress and an insufficient sleep schedule. What’s the point of working so hard if it prevents us from enjoying the present moment?
We can’t afford to wait until tomorrow to start doing the things we’ve always wanted to do. We need to start doing those things now. Don’t live your life under the false notion that you’ll simply be able to “do it tomorrow.” We aren’t promised tomorrow.
Don’t wait until tomorrow to tell those you hold closest to your heart that you love them.
Don’t wait to take that trip you’ve always dreamed of.
Don’t waste your time and energy on negative people and exhaust yourself dealing with their negative energy.
Don’t waste time holding grudges.
Don’t waste years of your life neglecting your body, not giving yourself the proper nutrition and rest needed to live a long and healthy life.
Don’t waste time at a job you don’t enjoy.
Don’t waste time doing things you don’t want to do.
Life the life you want. Live your best life and don’t look back. Create a life you’re proud of. Put your head down and turn those dreams into reality today.
Don’t wait for tomorrow.
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