As I’m sure everyone knows, life is short. It may seem like a long time and it may seem like you have forever to do something, which would make sense as to why so many things get pushed off. However, something everyone needs to understand is that unexpected things happen. You should always expect the unexpected. Life is crazy. Honestly, it is. One day things can be going great. You seem to have everything together and you’re happy. The sun is shining, you woke up, and you’re healthy. Nothing can tear you down … until it does.
When that day comes along, your entire life can come crashing down right before you, and you realize that you don’t have enough scotch tape to put all of the pieces back together. No matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you wish, things are going to take time to heal and to go back to the way they once were. And for the most part, things really never fully go back to how they were. You couldn’t have expected things to change so quickly, you never imagined the possibility of death so close to home, and there was nothing you could do to prevent it from happening. The damage has been done and now it’s time to live with the consequences.
Whether or not you asked for something to change your life, it happens — and it happens regularly. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and that especially goes for life itself. Some people are lucky enough to pull through a tragedy with limited to no scratches. Others, however, have to fight for their life to come back and they have to do everything they can to get better. When that moment comes, you learn what’s important and you learn who is important.
When you’re a kid, you never anticipate the possibility of anything going wrong in your life. When you start to grow up, you realize that things can happen in a blink of an eye. But, you never anticipate your parent, sibling, or loved one going through something traumatic that could potentially take their life away. When that moment happens, you finally understand the way life really works. You finally get that everything in life is truly unexpected.
There are going to be moments in your life that are extremely terrifying. You won’t know what to do and you certainly won’t know how to handle your feelings, but you have to try to pull through. When life throws you a curve ball, you need to show just how strong you are — not only for yourself, but for the people around you.
In desperate times, you learn who is going to be there for you and who isn’t. Typically, the people who are there for you are the very last people you’d expect.
Something I’ve learned in this terrible time is that life is too short. There is so much to experience, so much to say, so much to do, but that can easily be ripped right from your fingertips at any given moment. Something I’ve recently learned is that sometimes it is too late — but it doesn’t have to be.
Tell people you appreciate them. If you have feelings for someone, tell them. If you know you love someone, show them. If you need to make amends, try. If you want to travel, then leave. If you want to cut ties with someone who is making you unhappy, grab the scissors. Treat your body right and do things that are going to make you happy. Don’t hold grudges and let go of the past. Don’t leave things left unsaid. Life is too short. And, far too often, terrible things happen unexpectedly. Make sure you hold your loved ones close and make time to tell them just how much you appreciate them.
When the unexpected happens, look around and find your support system. Remember that people care. And remember that you can get through it. Stop letting the fear of life get in the way of what you want. Like I said before, life is too short and sometimes it’s too late to say the things that you need to say — but it doesn’t have to be.
