There are many difficult life situations – being unemployed, getting a divorce, and suffering from a chronic illness – just to name a few. One of the hardest is watching a dying loved one.
The Dose learned this first hand when my mother died from a terminal brain tumor. Though this experience was over 20 years ago, a key lesson has never left my mind: Stay in the moment – don’t miss it by looking into the future.
This key lesson began on Christmas Day 1985. The Dose spent much of this day focused on the “what if.” What if this was to be my mother’s last Christmas? I just couldn’t help myself, as the future without Mom was soon to be a reality. And with that thought, I frequently ran into the bathroom for some cry time, totally missing much of that day with Mom.
Well, Christmas Day 1985 was not my mother’s last Christmas; that happened in 1986. And there was my life lesson. I had missed what could have been a wonderful Christmas.
It’s true, watching a dying love one is difficult, but missing moments with them is regrettable.
The future will come soon enough… Stay in the moment.