The Life & Career Questions I Ask Myself Since My Dad’s Unexpected Passing
There is nothing like the self-reflection caused by mortality’s smack in the face.
My dad’s recent and unexpected passing has cemented for me that all we have is time. I don’t mean we have an abundance of it. I mean how we spend it and who we spend it with is all that matters. These actions shape our legacies.
We are all fortunate because the value of time is limitless, and yet it costs nothing. Strangely, time is what lets us recover from heartbreak and loss and, at the same time, moves us closer to our own passing. The spaces in between are the center brownie, the meaty part of a sandwich, the gooey insides of a cinnamon roll.
I have learned over the past two months that you think a lot about your mortality when you lose someone you love. You take inventory of how you might feel or what you might think if your clock, at least for life on Earth, was about to stop. The eight questions below are the ones that continually swirl in my mind during quiet moments. The asking part is easy. The answering, reflecting, and redirecting are the ongoing work.
