Life Lessons...From My Cousin John

This has been a rough week...my wonderful cousin John passed away a few days ago, and we had his memorial service last night. He was only 58, but he left behind a lot of amazing memories and a gift of life lessons to all of us. Here are a few that hit home with me:

Do what you're passionate about. John always followed his passions...computers, technology, and science fiction were the main three, and he always gave his all to everything he did. He also loved playing blackjack and went to Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City every chance he got to play as often as time and money would allow. If you love doing something, go do it. Make the most of every moment you have on this earth.

Take care of your health. Unfortunately, John gives us this lesson because he did not take care of his own health very well. He was severely overweight and diabetic, and although at times he tried to take control he didn't stay with it. I firmly believe that he would still be with us if he had taken better care of himself. Do everything you can to get fit and healthy, so you can be around for a long time...to live your dreams and spend more time with your loved ones.

Family is important; don't let too much time go by. This is another lesson learned the hard way. At John's memorial service, there were some cousins, aunts, and friends of the family that I hadn't seen in years. Some of my cousins' children are already grown up and we all missed out on a lot of time together. We are working on keeping in touch much better...we want to start making the time for each other so we don't only see each other at funerals. As with John, we don't have unlimited time on earth so we need to find the time in our busy schedules to spend time together. Call that relative that you haven't talked to in a long time...or stop by to see them. Don't wait!

Now that John is in heaven, we need to remember these lessons and make the most of them. Rest in peace my dear cousin....and as my cousin Tom said yesterday about his brother, "Warp speed...into the new world."