Life can change in the blink of an eye.
Two weeks ago, I was spending a weekend with friends in Orlando, creating core memories at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT—riding countless attractions, eating around the world.
We decided to end the road trip at a Thai restaurant near Hallandale Beach. While there, I saw a missed text message from mom that changed my perspective on life.
“Grandma is in the hospital.”
Not wanting to “kill the mood” of an otherwise fantastic day, I thought, “there’s nothing you can do about it here, enjoy the present. Once you’re home, you’ll have to face the issue head on.”
My anxiety worsened as I saw my apartment from the passenger window of my friend’s car. I said my goodbyes with a smile on my face, but the moment I turned away, the smile faded.
I arrived home to see my mom sitting next to her phone, where she had been for most of the day, waiting for updates from the hospital.
By midnight, I found myself no longer in a magical funland, but in a nightmare. My grandma Alexandria had suffered a heart attack and was intubated in the intensive care unit.
As I hovered over her hospital bed, I broke down crying. I realized I hadn’t spoken to my grandma in nearly two weeks.
She passed away a few days later and I never got the chance to say goodbye.
As we age, life gets hectic, responsibilities grow and we stretch ourselves thin. Eventually, we start forgetting to check in on people and make excuses—we’re too tired, busy, lazy. After a long day, many of us simply don’t want to hear another voice or carry on a conversation at home.
But before you know it, weeks and months have passed without you speaking to the most important people in your life.
It’s going to take some time to forgive myself for not checking in on my grandmother when I had the chance.
However, if there’s something positive I can take away from such a terrible experience, it’s this—make time for the people you love and ground yourself in what’s really important.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed; life can and will change in an instant. Give the special people in your life a call and check to see how they are doing.
