Don’t wait till tomorrow
To spend the evening with your dad
Or hug your mom one more time
Or play one more game with your family.
Don’t wait to record their voices,
Take pictures of random moments,
Listen to that childhood story again,
Or burn their memory in your heart.
Don’t rush on with your busy life,
With your myriad of excuses,
With your overcommitted schedule,
With your next appointment –
And forget who is most important
And what is most important –
What you’ll cling to when they’re gone
And what you’ll remember forever.
Don’t wait to show them love
And say it, too.
Don’t wait to build the relationship
And be there for them no matter what.
Don’t wait to say you’re sorry
Or resolve a conflict
Or embrace humility
Or say what needs to be said.
Don’t wait.
Because you never know
When this will be the last time,
And you’ll wish you had
Just one more day with them.
Don’t wait.
Love with abandon,
And be so good at making memories
That they will fill you with comfort
When they are gone from your side.
Don’t wait.
Photo by James Hose Jr on Unsplash.