My grandmother lived to be 76 years old.
She dedicated her entire life to her family.
She loved cooking for us and praying for us, and you could see on her face that she was most happy when we were united and well as a family.
Our happiness brought her true joy.
She did not expect anything in return, and trust me, she did not get much.
When she passed in August of 2023, my whole family was shocked.
The woman was 76 years old and had health issues for which she was taking medication daily for the last 20 years.
Most of my family treated her passing as a tragedy.
Let me tell you, it was not a happy moment—losing someone you love never is —but it was not a tragedy.
Someone dying in a stupid car accident at 46 is a tragedy. Your grandmother dying at 76 after living a full life is a normal passing, not a tragedy.
My point with this post is that you must understand that people tend to praise you more after you are gone, so stop expecting praise and start doing what you want.
Doing what you want without expecting anything from anyone in return will bring you joy, and a joyful life is a life well lived.
The second thing I want to point out with this post is to help you remember that nothing and no one lasts forever.
Learn to say thank you, I am grateful for you, and I love you to the people in your life.
Tell them today. Please give them the beautiful gift of your full attention today because tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone.
We all tend to think that there is always more time, but the truth of the matter is we don’t actually know how much more time there is for any of us.
Death is a reality of life and a powerful teacher. It’s not a bad idea to think about death from time to time.
Not in a morbid, depressing way, but in a tonic, awakening way.
Wake up!
With love, yours truly, Cristian.