Value your time

Yesterday I got some shocking news when my uncle, my mom’s younger brother, emailed me that his wife had just died.  I had never met his second wife but they seemed to have a special relationship where they both encouraged the creativity in the other.  I had no idea that she was having health issues so news of her passing was a major shock to me.   I responded back with my sympathy and an offer to help in any way he needed. I told him I really didn’t know what else to say.  You wish there were magical words you could offer somebody in times like this to ease their suffering, but if those words actually exist I do not know them.  Loss of a loved one before normal life expectancy is a heart wrenching experience that can only be endured and not cured.

It’s easy for us to move day to day in our lives with the assumption that what has been will continue to be.  The reality that most of us insulate ourselves from is nothing could be further from the truth.  We are all walking a tight rope without a safety net, whether you realize it or not.  Value your time on the wire.