Today I lost a good friend.
She had bravely fought against cancer for 5 years until late last night, when she finally made peace with the illness and put an end to her terrestrial existence. At first, I did not react. I was frozen due to the news. Not because of denial but instead as a result of an uncanny sense of hope that quickly polluted my soul. It wasn’t until hours later that a wave of truth drowned my faith and forced me to accept the evident… she was gone. Then it felt like a thunder creeping through my skin. Now - after some time of grieving - as I keep forcing myself to write about something else, I surrender to my heart. Perhaps it was the Scotch at lunch [plenty of it]… or maybe the nostalgia resulting from going over so many old Facebook albums. I really don’t know and, quite frankly, don’t care either. The thing is that I realized how beyond her charm and particular sense of humor, her true legacy is something much deeper… Her story. A story of ideals and unrestrained passion… One of overwhelming laughs and wild dreams… A story that, no matter the disease, will never die. The story of her life reminded me how often - between mad schedules and meaningless agendas - I neglect the fact that following my heart is much more fulfilling than following my brain. It also inspired me to pay more attention to those things that truly matter, the same ones that will bring meaning to our legacy once we’re gone.Ultimately, it challenged me to face the uncertainty of the unknowable. One thing I’ll tell you… we’re all fated to cross that path someday. The question is whether we are using our time on earth to do things that, in the end, will be worthless out of a spreadsheet or, instead, things that shall make a difference for future generations? Time is the secret. Or, as my now departed lovely Patricia used to say… “It’s never too late… wake up, grow and die mate… have the guts to live because anyone can die.” Rest in peace preciosa. ________________About the author: A planner born in the Caribbean who now lives in NYC. Frustrated baseball player, blogger, digital immigrant and a scotch lover who likes to create things on the web.