If You Love Someone, Tell Them, Because Life is Too Short to Take Your Time.

When the news hit that Kobe Bryant’s helicopter had crashed and he, along with his young daughter Gianna and several other passengers did not survive, the world was left in a state of shock.

As fans mourned their basketball hero, the internet was flooded with heartfelt tweets, Instagram posts and Facebook messages from his friends and family, and from anyone around the world who has ever been inspired by the “Mamba Mentality”.

Life is a Gift

Tragic stories like this are a stark reminder of how short life can be, and that we need to cherish every moment we have with our loved ones. We need to treat each day as a gift because it can all change in a single moment.

In a heartbreaking Instagram post, Bryant’s wife Vanessa described the pain and loss her family is currently experiencing:

“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”

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Make Time for the People You Love

In our fast-paced modern society, it can sometimes be difficult to make time for your friends and family, but when you get to the end of your life, the memories you created with the people you love will be what you hold onto.

If you’re struggling to find ways to make time with your loved ones, consider these tips:

Work on a common goal together. Judi Siklos, a Canadian psychotherapist, suggests finding a friend or two to help you stick to that new year’s resolution you made. For many people, getting in shape is a goal that they struggle to stick to, but having a workout buddy is a great motivator, and helps you to fit in some “friend-time”, while still accomplishing something.

“If you do a weekly class or a weekly workout with your friend, then you’re getting the double benefit of meeting another goal in your life as well as spending time with a friend,” she says [1].

Prioritize time in your calendar. Often, finding time for friends and family is simply a matter of making it a priority.

“When someone has a doctor’s appointment or their kid has a soccer game, they don’t waffle and say ‘I’m busy, I can’t do it,’” says Siklos. “They do it because it’s a priority.” 

Schedule some time with the people you love and prioritize it in the same way you would a doctor’s appointment or any of your other non-negotiable activities [1].

Do Chores Together. Cook meals together, clean the house together- you can make mundane tasks much more enjoyable when you do them with family, and it’s a chance to spend some time together. So throw on some music, grab that duster and have a cleaning party [2].

Have a Family Night. Choose one night each week that’s dedicated to the family. Have a movie night or game night- whatever gets your family spending time together [3].

Book a Family Vacation. Vacations are a great way for families and friends to bond outside of the stressor of everyday life. Even if it is difficult to coordinate, or even a mild financial stress- book the trip. The memories you will create will bond your together for a lifetime [3].

Volunteer Together. Finding a way to help someone else in need as a family is a great way to spend time together while also teaching your children the value of helping others [3].

Make the Most of the Time We Have

Tragedies happen. We lose people we love. There’s a lot we can’t control, but we can maximize the time we do have with those who are important to us. Take every chance you have to make memories with your loved ones, because should you lose them, those memories are what will keep them alive in your mind and in your heart.

It’s not always easy to make time for people, and all too often we get caught up in the day-to-day activities of living and leave very little room for anything else. If this sounds like you, maybe it’s time to clear your calendar and fill it up with quality time with friends and family. Now’s the time to start enjoying the beautiful life you have with the people you love.

Keep Reading: ‘You hold on tight. Somehow 20 years isn’t enough. When it’s time for them to go, it all hits you like a ton of bricks.’: Mom of teens urges us to ‘soak it all in’ during younger parenting years