We never know when one will pass away, but the one thing we do know is that they will pass away at one point. We are constantly reminded of death, from learning history to watching the news. We hear of random people dying almost every day, but then why are we never prepared for when that moment comes?
In the past year, I’ve lost both my cats and now my dog. Each loss became worse for me, even though I knew to expect it.
The one reoccurring thought I’ve had though, was “I should have spent more time with them.”
I would say it’s a pretty common response to death, most people probably have the same thought after a loved one passes away.
But why is that? If so many people have the same experience, then why do we never learn? It’s because we take things for granted. We expect the people and animals in our lives to just always be there, even if we know deep down life doesn’t work like that.
Even though these deaths in my life have been heartbreaking, they’ve also taught me a very important lesson. Don’t take anything for granted, and never have any regrets.
In case you didn’t know by now, we are all going to die at one point, and so are the people around us. It’s something no one likes to think about, so we all just push it to the back of our brains and pretend everyone will just live forever. But I’ve come to realize, living in that La La Land where we force the idea of death out of our brains just ends up hurting us in the end.
I was one of those people that pretended death doesn’t exist. Whenever the thought of my pets or parents dying came into my head, I pushed it away and told myself I didn’t need to think about it.
But we do need to think about it. Pushing those thoughts away is what leads us to have so many regrets. If we remind ourselves that every day is not guaranteed, and the people around us can go at any moment, we will stop taking things for granted.
I’ve heard too many stories of people regretting not spending more time with a loved one before they passed, or people who get into fights with loved ones right before their passing, and they only then realize how stupid the fight really was.
I’ve experienced this myself, and it’s one of the most painful things to go through. I would give anything to hug my cat again or even just see my dog’s face.
It’s so sad that we only realize after someone has passed all of the things we wished we had said or done. It shouldn’t get to that point.
Life is too short, that’s what I’ve seen first hand. Nothing is forever. If you have something to say, say it. If you have the random urge to tell your mom you love her, tell her. Stop getting into stupid, pointless fights with your family or friends, because you never want to go through the pain of regret.
We get into this mindset, especially in college, where we tell ourselves “I’ll just call them tomorrow” or “I’ll talk to them later,” but tomorrow is not a guarantee. One day there won’t be a tomorrow, so live in the now.
Call your mom, tell her you love her. Tell your friends and family how much you appreciate them. Hug your cat and dog each time you see them, and learn to appreciate every moment you have with them, because one day there won’t be any more moments.