Life must move forwards

A little over one week ago, my Father died unexpectedly aged just 72. I know the stages of grieving and I knew what to expect but his passing hit me very hard indeed.

Mostly it was regret for things left undone. The trips that we should have taken together that were put off because finances or poor health seemed at the time to be insurmountable barriers. The stories that did not get written down or recorded of his younger days, the granddaughters and grandsons he will not see grow to maturity.

So I have in the last week been evaluating my own approach to life and have, in some areas, found that things could usefully change. For the most part it has been a realisation that even though we all know that our life is finite, none of us can know when it will end. Knowing that both emotionally and intellectually is very different from just being able to say the words.

I know that I will waste far less time on things that have no long term value for me or my family. This includes most of the things that the TV adverts would have us lusting after and spending our as yet unearned income on through the means of a credit card. Things hold little of real worth.

Friends, family, experiences and emotions carry far more value.

I know that I will miss my Dad for a long time, perhaps always, but the pain of missed opportunities will guide my actions and I think prompt me to make better life choices for now and the future.

No one can know when their life will end; if yours were to end next week, what things undone would you regret?

Got an answer? Then please take action on it now.