Monday, January 26, 2009

Life is Short, Precious and Often Sad

Last week I got another piece of news that reminded me that life is short, precious and often sad. A friend of mine was killed in a traffic accident. Jason and I weren't close friends - we worked for the same start-up several years ago. Even though we did not stay in close touch, we did talk several times in recent years and I last saw him during one of my business trips to Denver last year. I will remember Jason as a smart, talented, humble, kind and good natured person. He was an educated and open minded individual. He was someone that folks liked to be with.

Today Jason is being put to rest. He is survived by his wife and two small kids, and my heart goes out to them.

Such events always remind me how fragile and delicate life really is. You could be saying goodbye to one of your loved-ones in the morning only to never return or never see them again. Thankfully, and I mean that, I am quickly able to get back to my normal way of thinking and forget the knife's edge we are all balanced on every day. People are not meant to live in constant fear and worry. However, while this perspective remains, it is important to do everything in your power to ensure that if the unthinkable happens, your loved ones are well taken care of:

1. Is your life sufficiently insured to support the needs of your family?
2. Do you have a will? We don't.  We need to get one.
3. Does your spouse know where all important documents are located and sufficiently understands the family finances? 

Thinking about the worst case scenario is not something any sane human enjoys, but it is simply something that needs to be done.

I will not be able to attend Jason's funeral today, but Jason and his family will be in my thoughts. If I believed in god, I would offer a prayer. Since I don't, all I can offer are my condolences and my modest contribution to Jason's kids' newly opened college fund. 

Rest in piece, buddy.

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