Now that I have emerged from the dark cloud of heartbreak, I have re-entered a world in which people close to me are suffering. This week alone, two women close to me learned of ominous lumps in their breasts requiring exploration and treatment. My frail and wonderful aunt, with whom I have the strongest bond of love and trust one could ever imagine or hope for, is facing surgery, if only she can get strong enough to withstand it. A best friend is facing ovarian cancer in two of the women closest to her in her life. And another friend has lost the ability to sleep due to his obviously damaged back.
So why am I writing about this? Because yet another friend lost someone this week with whom he had lost touch, someone he had meant to call, meant to email and didn't, and he is now filled with regret. And his experience has provided a halo over all the other ones for me as a reminder that now is the time to let people know how you feel about them in both actions and in words.
I think about the practice at the Jewish New Year of the tradition to reflect on your actions of the prior year which you regret and do something about them, make contact with those with whom you had disagreements, resolve differences so you can move on. I believe there is a parallel practice of equal importance which is to show the people you care about that you care. Now. If not now, when. Shower the people you love with love, right James?
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