Remembering those whom I have lost

I noticed on my Facebook page that yesterday was the seven year anniversary of a former coworker's death. We were never close friends but I did teach with him in Colombia. In 2019, at the young age of 34, he was attending a bachelor party in Scotland (where he was from) and he was involved in a kayaking accident. His kayak overturned and he drowned sadly.

None of us know the exact hour or manner of our death. That is why it is so important to be grateful for every day that you have and take full advantage of them!

I have lost my maternal grandparents, at the relatively young ages of 78 and 82. I have also lost my paternal grandfather, who died in 1972. My grandmother's second husband, died in 2014 at the age of 75. Now, I have only my paternal grandmother left she is 90 years old as of 2026. Sam is not the only person that I know who has died young. My friend Therisa Schmidt died in a car accident at the tender age of only seventeen. A friend of mine from my travel group died in a car crash at only twenty seven years old. 

My ex roommate in Colombia, Mark died alone in his apartment in Africa of a brain aneurysm. I also had 2 friends from my former travel group, whom I knew. They died tragically too young. One of them died of a massive heart attack at the age of 47 and the other of cancer at the age of 56. Both were gone to young. I have also lost a former boss of mine, to cancer at the age of 71. He was a heavy smoker though. That bad habit will catch up with you. 

There are more people who I have lost but I don't want to bore you by detailing each one. The important thing to remember is that this life is fleeting and temporary. Don't take it for granted. Live each day as if it were your last. Be sure to take full advantage of every day that you are above ground. Hold on to your loved ones tightly and don't go to bed angry. Say what you want to say, to who you need to say it to. Don't wait because you may not get another chance. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I have no idea how or when I will die. Hopefully, it will be peaceful painless a long time from now. However, even if I die tomorrow, I will be happy with the life that I have had. I have seen and done things, in my 41 short years on this planet that many people never have the ability to see and do in their entire lives. Despite all of my health challenges, I would not change anything. Everything that has happened to me, I have learned from. I still consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. I am so grateful for everyone who has supported me and given me the opportunity to have a better life than I ever dreamed possible, and much better than the doctors predicted for me as an infant. I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me. 

Til next time, Tyler