A fortnight ago my life was really full of things to do. There was a major social event on the calendar. I was supposed to perform a song with my friend on the guitar. My son had just begun his summer holidays and I had no spare time to breathe. It was amidst this chaos that my Dad called up one day. Very calmly he told me that his elder brother had been hospitalized over the weekend. That the doctors suspected that it was a silent stroke, but he was back home now.

He asked me to call up and speak with him. This was something I wanted to do very much.  So I promised him that I would. I told myself that I was a bit busy right now and he must be exhausted after his ordeal, so I’ll speak in a day or two. The social event came and went. My song was very well received and I won many applauds. Then I thought of calling up my uncle. Since I was really tired I thought I would do it the next morning and went off to sleep.

The next morning my Mom called me up nice and early and told me he was no more. He had passed away last night the time I was wondering about calling him. The instance sense of guilt and regret that hit me was overwhelming. I no longer had an option of communicating with him in this life. The pressures of my social life had kept me from keeping in touch with a family member whom I adored.

I was angry with myself and upset with the world. It is difficult to accept the faults that one has made. Yet in this case there was no one else to blame. I had to shoulder the full responsibility. This is what made me think, that there must be a lesson in this that I can share with others. So here is what I felt I learnt from this experience.

When you love someone don’t wait for the right time to call. You go ahead and disturb them to convey your affection and concern, and guess what? Nine times out of ten they will not be disturbed. They will be glad that you called. Just don’t put off till tomorrow that you can do today, because for some people tomorrow may never arrive.

I now must live with my regret, but thanks to this lesson I have begun calling up others I love. I have spoken with cousins I have not had time to speak with for the last two years. I am wishing my best friend in Amsterdam even if I must stay awake odd hours to do so. I am spending time with my son who always wants to play with me, but for whom I have no time. I am learning to live life with out regrets.

I know it took the death of a loved one to drive the lesson home to me, but I am not going to forget this or take it lightly. Life is for spreading all the joy and love that you can and if you can’t communicate that to your loved ones on a daily basis, what use is that life? So don’t let society interfere with family and make sure you let the people you love, know that you love them.