Celebrating Life: Turning 43 and Grateful for Every Moment
I could be dead right now — but I’m not, and that’s something to celebrate.
My father passed away at the young age of 43 due to complications from diabetes, which led to a massive heart attack. At the time, everyone remarked on how young he was to die, and they were right.
Now, here I am, turning 43 myself today. I don’t know whether you believe in destiny or if, like me, you accept the randomness of life.
I believe that even something as small as taking an extra minute to tie my shoelaces could make the difference between being involved in a fatal traffic accident or not. This might seem overwhelming at first, but to me, it’s actually liberating.
It’s liberating because the weight of wanting to control everything is lifted off my shoulders. It’s a heavy burden, you know? I do what I can to stay safe on the road — I drive carefully, wear my seat belt, and take every precaution. However, all it takes is one clueless person texting while driving to put my life to an end.
It’s not just clueless people causing totally avoidable accidents either — there are also “normal” accidents, natural disasters, bandits, cancer, and COVID.
I could have been on that plane that crashed. I could be battling cancer. But I’m not. I’m here, alive and healthy, enjoying the company of loved ones, working to make aviation safer, playing video games, eating that delicious feijoada, and trying to understand the reason for all of this.
What more could I want? #TimeToCelebrate
