Death and the Nature of the Business

One of our team recently had a death in the family.

Their father, once a prolific part of their life and instrumental in their upbringing, has been reduced to a small container of ashes.

Another one of our team lost a family member a year ago. After a nearly monthlong battle with the State, the hospital, and with insurance, he too was reduced to ashes.

The former was 76 years old and it was sudden, the latter was 98 and it was long expected.

We always have regrets – the Hindsight monster comes to visit, and we think of all the things we should have done. The things we could have done, instead of the things we did do. Sometimes we’ll flay ourselves over the choices we made.

Hindsight will tell you that you should have gone to see them instead of focusing on a work deadline. Or called them instead of going to a happy hour with co-workers.

Hindsight will say that THEY wished you had called them, or made more of an effort.

Hindsight will trap you in a vortex of bullshit thoughts that you don’t need.

Balancing work with life is a delicate art. On the one hand you want to rise through the ranks, you want to make a comfortable living, you want to excel in your career. Get noticed. Impress people. Leave a good impression.

On the other hand, you’re a human being. Life is finite. Relationships are fragile. What do you prioritize? What do you take for granted?

If we, too, one day will be reduced to ashes, and all of our belongings inventoried, appraised, rummaged through, and split apart, what’s more important?

Impressing people? Getting a deadline out the door? Or maintaining relationships with the people in our lives that ACTUALLY matter?

Maybe Hindsight has a couple of good points, after all.