Never forget what’s most important in life…

Since I was a child, I’ve always had a keen sense of my own mortality – it has shaped me in so many ways and when ever I have a big decision to make, I ask myself one question that helps me make sense of it all.

When it’s my turn to die, will I look back on the decision I’m making now with happiness or regret knowing what I know now? Does it really matter enough that I’ll even include it as part of my final thoughts?

When you think of things this way, decisions are rather easy to make, even the big life changing ones. I was reminded of how precious life really is yet again today when my grand mother passed away – she was in her 90s but she had the energy and vigor of somebody half her age.

She had a strong personality and I’d call her every week just to hear her voice again – it never really mattered what we talked about, just that we talked. I’m pretty sure I had her convinced that if she toughed it out a few more years that the clock would start going backwards once she hit her 100th birthday and she’d start to get younger again. She had a great sense of humor just like her husband.

My grand father was very much like my grand mother – they were both very much kindred spirits… he was always joking around and I can’t remember the number of times as a kid he’s ask me to pull his finger. As you can see in the above picture, he taught me my sense of style… only he could pull-off wearing a Hawaiian shirt with red pants and a checkered jacket – I’m sure if he was still alive today, he’d be wearing the same outfit as in ’77!

This shirt by the way is the only thing I have left of his, my grand mother gave it to me after his funerals when I was a teenager. I brought it with me everywhere I traveled – no way I could ever fill his shoes but wearing his shirt during very special occasions made me feel like he was still with me. That’s the shirt I’m wearing in my latest book… it was such a beautiful scene behind me in South Australia that I just had to wear it and stick it in there. Say what you will about Australia but it has among the most beautiful landscapes in the world!

They had 10 children together of which one was my father… they grew-up without much money on a farm that was tough to make a living on. My aunts and uncles would often tell me how they’d have to build wood projects and pick fruit to sell to neighbors to help make ends meet as children. What they lacked in material possessions they more than made-up for in the love my grand parents had for their growing family.

Over the past few years of living abroad, the one thing I found most difficult was being away from my family… it’s time you never get back and each time I’d come back to Canada, I made sure to spend as much time as possible with them as I knew I was about to head out again into the great wide world and didn’t know when I’d return yet again.

I was pretty close to my grand mother especially later in life, death can come quick without any warning and I didn’t want to have any regrets about the time we did have together. Even at her age, she still had a lot of life left in her and I can only hope that when I’m her age, I have a fraction of the magic she had to wake-up every morning and be thankful to enjoy yet one more day. I spoke to her just last week and said I’d see her in two months, I guess she had other plans.

As a friend told me a few months back when his friend and mentor passed away, “it isn’t how much you have but who you touched along the way”. I can’t think of a better way to live ones life.

Three cheers to a life very well lived!!!