Life Is Too Short

Life is short. We hear this cliché over and over again, but most of the time, we fail to take it literally until something happens to us or someone we love. Most of the time, many people don’t realize how we are lucky for all of our limbs to be fully functioning. We are lucky to eat, dress, and go to the bathroom on our own. We are lucky to have a roof over our head. We are lucky to have a job that pays our bills. We are lucky to have friends and family as a strong support system. We are lucky to be alive.

Life is short. Stop complaining about not being able to have your dream car. Work hard to earn it instead. Stop complaining about your job, it will get better. Stop complaining about being single. Try to enjoy the process of self-discovery and being alone. Stop complaining about your life, because there are people out there that will do anything to be in your shoes instead of fighting each day to see if they’ll be a tomorrow.

Life is short. When my father got sick, it changed my life forever. He was my hero, the man who held my hand to teach me how to take my first steps, and yet suddenly I was holding his hand to help him walk. The man who encouraged me to never give up on my dreams, yet this, time I was encouraging him not to give up on life. The man who told me to keep running to keep my passion strong, and now I was telling him to keep exercising so that the most important muscle in his body—his heart—would stay strong. The man who worked day and night to provide for our well-being, and yet now the tables are turned and I’m the one looking after him.

Life is short. Maybe my dad only has until tomorrow, or maybe he’ll have another 20 years. Regardless, as we’re enjoying our teens, 20s, and 30s, our parents are getting older. Spend time with the people that have helped you to become who you are today. We get so caught up in our daily lives with our friends, school, or work that sometimes we forget to make that phone call to our loved ones. Make this the year where you actually make time and build memories with your loved ones, because you truly do not know if they will be in this world tomorrow. Because life is too short to regret that you didn’t.