“Never take your loved ones for granted, because you never know when their hearts will stop beating, and you won’t have a chance to say goodbye.” — Unknown
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We had just met him at a company holiday dinner party at the fine dining steakhouse.
We were seated beside him and his wife at the table in the private dining room with about 20 other guests. He was a colleague of my husband’s.
This man was only 50 years old, and he passed away suddenly from a heart attack. We were all astonished beyond measure.
He had ordered the most decadent chocolate dessert on the menu that evening. If my memory serves me well, I believe it was the flourless chocolate cake.
Looking back on it later, I remarked to my husband that it was a good thing that he overindulged that evening as it would be one of his last meals.
I recall his wife recounting how the valet had lost their car keys, and the restaurant had to pay him $400 for the missing keys.
The missing keys had been their most pressing concern that December evening. Within a few days, he would be gone.
It is incredible how much your priorities can change in an instant.
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The family had decided to vacation separately that year. The mother had gone on a winter holiday to Europe with their teenage daughter while the father and their young son had decided to stay back home and just hang out.
During their holiday together, the young son had tried to rouse his father one morning, but he was unresponsive.
Apparently, he died of sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep. It must have been terrifying for the poor boy to find his father like that.
His wife and daughter returned to the States immediately. I cannot imagine their state of mind at the time.
My husband was deeply affected by the loss of his friend and colleague as he worked closely with him at the office. He kept commenting how he was in an utter state of disbelief.
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Several years ago, an acquaintance suddenly lost her husband to a heart attack as well. He was only 55 years old.
He had been out of the country on business, and she only found out only several days after the fact. Needless to say, she was devastated.
Her husband had been the picture of health and was an avid runner. Furthermore, he had recently passed his annual physical exam with flying colors. He was not even on any regular medication.
Apparently, he died of a sudden and massive heart attack while alone in his hotel room.
What surprised everyone was that none of his coworkers even bothered to check in on him when he did not show up for the conference. He was alone in his hotel room for several days.
Finally, at his family’s request, a housekeeping staff member opened the door to his hotel room and found him in the bed, his hand clutched to his chest.
It was a tragedy that such a wonderful husband and father had perished alone with no one by his side. It breaks my heart just thinking about it.
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Final Thoughts
Life is fleeting. At any moment, what we have been blessed with can be taken away.
We never know how long any of us will live, so we must never take each other for granted.
Cherish your loved ones. Never pass up easy opportunities to make lasting memories with them.
Do not forget to hug your loved ones extra tight today and always.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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