Get to know the people close to you

I'm not entirely sure where to start because, well, I should have figured this one out way sooner. We are related to some pretty cool people that have done some pretty cool things. Things that we will not ever know about because they have died and we didn't get to know them when they were here. I mean, of course we knew them, but only in the small-talk-at-Easter sort of way. Some of the really cool things my grandfather did, I didn't know about until he was being eulogized. That is just too damn late. There was a whole side to him that I didn't know much at all about, could have learned from, or could have just enjoyed hearing him tell the stories. I could have spent more time with him, but was too busy, figured there was always next time, blah blah blah. Just lame.

My grandma died when I was young, so did my other grandpa. Too young to really know them. Then I squandered the time I had with the ones that were here until just recently.

I've only mentioned family so far, but it's true of good friends as well. There were some people that I should have kept in touch with and didn't. Now it's twenty years later and I'm just now catching up. That's a long time lost.

I'm not saying you should know every last detail about everyone. There's no way I would spend more than a 'hi' on Uncle Useless. Jeez, he's only good for a lame joke at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it's at his expense. You know pretty well who is worth the effort.

Sorry if this sounds morbid, I really don't mean it to. I just want to make the point that you don't know what the future holds for you, so you have to make the most of Now and the people here with you.