Sunset and a Beautiful Goodbye

Today, I was reminded that life is too short to waste.

Life is too short to wait, to dwell on sadness and things that didn’t work out.

Life is too short to hold grudge against other people and regret about the past.

Life is too short to let the “what ifs” and “if onlys” stop you from being happy.

Two days ago, I woke up to the news that my grandmother had passed away. The night before, I had to say goodbye to someone too.

That’s how unpredictable life is. You never know what happens from one minute to the next.

I haven’t written about something for a while because I feel like I have nothing to write about. It feels like inspiration to write has left me not until this morning. Over a cup of coffee, I asked my mother, “If grandma didn’t die, do you think dad and his other siblings will be reunited like this? Why do people have to wait until someone’s gone before they make time to give attention and care?” Whether or not it will make a difference, all we know is that my grandmother is in her happy place now, looking after all of us.

Then, it hit me. Why do we wait until the moment is over before we appreciate what we have right in front of us? Instead, we worry and feel bad about the things that we don’t have. Why do we wait until it’s too late before we go on that adventure, express that feeling towards someone or let go of the things/people who are holding us back?

I came across this quote from Ernest Hemingway which definitely resonated with me.

“There is nothing else than now. There is neither yesterday, certainly, nor is there any tomorrow. How old must you be before you know that? There is only now, and if now is only two days, then two days is your life and everything in it will be in proportion. This is how you live a life in two days. And if you stop complaining and asking for what you never will get, you will have a good life.”

The past few days have been just downright gloomy because of the people I lost. I don’t want to be sad. I choose not to be. I realized how sometimes, endings are disguised as beautiful beginnings. So much in life is experiential. You may lose something good, but you may gain something better.

Looking at the window now, watching the rain pour and hearing its sound hitting the roof makes me wish for a view of a beautiful sunset instead.

I’m definitely a “look at the sunset” type of person. For me, it is life’s blinding statement that things end and new beginnings are around the corner. It teaches me that beauty sometimes only lasts for a couple of moments. It constantly reminds me that no matter what happens, everyday can end beautifully.

Every sunset is different from the last one.  Each possesses the promise of a new day. And, there are those really special ones. Your own special sunset – the one you took the time to see because you knew that despite the things you have no control over with, it’s worth going there. Even just for once, only to see the sun go down.

It takes your breath away, leaves you speechless and if only for a moment, slows down time. You know it won’t last and there’s nothing you can do but to savor every last bit of that fleeting beauty.

Living life is so much like watching the sunset. Enjoy the moment while it lasts for no one knows when the last ray of sunlight will shine. Don’t control it. Just live life but promise to live it fully. Today is all you can grasp in the palm of your hands. Yesterday’s done and tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet.

Let the sunset be a beautiful reminder that there’s beauty in letting go – in just letting it be.

Letting go can feel like a loss. But it’s not. When you let go, you’re creating a massive space in your heart that’s meant to be filled with joy, love and gratitude. Letting go means opening yourself up to something better, something more wonderful and something you deserve.

I think there’s really never an easy way to say goodbye to the people dear to us. All we can do is to accept the reality of what is and move forward. See the purpose of that painful moment and find peace in saying your farewell with a heart wide open.

Where there is loss, there is always an even greater presence of love.

Let the sunset show you how a beautiful goodbye looks like. Watch it with awe as it unfolds. With the sun’s last rays peeking out from the horizon comes the realization that tomorrow holds endless possibilities.

New memories, new people, new love and new happiness await…

The Little Star

“Hey Big Star, why do I feel like no one really notices us?”

“What makes you say that Little Star? Look at how bright you are. Who could not notice that?”

“I’m not sure. There are so many of us in the sky. What makes me different from the rest? I just think it would be nice to know that someone out there is looking for me every night. And he knows I’m different from all the others. I want to feel special Big Star.”

“You are special Little Star. You are special to me. See, I let you shine brighter at night. And whenever your light starts to dim, you know that I’m always here to shed you some of mine. Isn’t that enough?”

Little Star looked at Big Star with both sad and eager eyes. Then she answered:

“I want to shine on my own now. It’s time.”

Big Star was heartbroken.

They used to be inseparable. Together, they shine brighter.

She remembered the day she found Little Star in the vastness of the dark night sky. Little Star was a bit scared back then. She was afraid to show her true light but Big Star believed in her. She was the happiest when Little Star twinkled for the first time. She knew that Little Star would have a bright future. One day, she would be a diamond in the sky.

Yet she knows that when the time comes, she has to let go and let Little Star shine on her own.

The time is now.

“Little Star, are you sure about this?” She nodded and hugged Big Star so tight.

With tears in her eyes, she hugged her back and say:

“Go on Little Star. Shine your own light and follow your own path. When the night gets really dark, just look back… I’m just here. Always.”

The night was quiet. The sky was dark. I sighed and wished for a hint of hope in this deafening silence. I looked up and saw two beautiful stars in heaven.

I knew it. It’s time.

 

My Last (Sad?) Post

I waited while the phone rang. Oh, I realized it’s almost midnight in New York…but I continued waiting until one of my best friends answered. She knew exactly what the conversation would be all about. I could imagine her getting up from her bed, anticipating the details that she’s about to hear. She just listened while giving subtle “uh-huhs” and “okays” in between. And then, she said it….”One day, you will look back and realize why things are happening the way they are now. Days, weeks or even years from now, everything will all make sense.“

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

This is what you say to your younger sister after she went out on a date that didn’t work out. This is what you say to a friend when he calls you saying his partner cheated on him. This is what you say to a colleague who’s unable to get the promotion she’s expecting… And this is what you say to yourself when your heart gets broken.

I truly believe people come into our lives for a reason. Some people stay for a long time while others just pass by. At times, it wouldn’t even matter how long you’ve known a person. It is surprising how one person can have too much impact in your life within just a short period of time – how he/she had made you very happy then extremely sad afterwards. Your meeting was like a dream come true. It was too strong that it hurt so badly when it went away. This could apply to anyone – a friend, family, almost-lover or a relationship partner. There are people you know all your life who never really make a difference to who you are while others arrive for a short time and change everything…

Everyone has something to teach us. I guess, we all have that… a person/people who come into our lives as lessons. We encounter them for a reason. We met them to share life’s wonderful experiences and make each other happy. In a perfect world, there’s no need to say goodbye – friendships remain and relationships will never be broken. But life is simply not like that…people come and go. People pass by our lives to make us realize the difference between what we want from what we truly deserve. Who says letting go of something so good will be easy? Nobody! It’s easier to hold on to all the good memories. That’s the thing, they are nothing but memories now and there’s more to life than all those “what ifs”.

I have had my share of people who came into my life as lessons. Believe me! They taught me a lot of things about myself – what I want or don’t want, what I like and hate, even the things I am willing to do and not to do in life. But as they say, people don’t really learn. Obviously, I’m quite guilty. I came across another “lesson” just recently but I ignored the signs. I learned pretty much the hard way because for the nth time I was blinded by superficial factors. When will I ever learn?!?

At the end of the day, the choice is ours – the choice to stop dwelling on the things or people who hold us back. It’s easier said than done. I wouldn’t say forget about it because you can’t really forget it just like that. It takes time, sometimes longer than you expect…so take your time. One day, you will realize why all of these are happening right now. The experiences and the people that you meet will serve as important pieces to complete this puzzle called life.  For the meantime, let me take Nicholas Spark’s advice to close this book and start a new one. (I bet my closest friends will roll their eyes and say…“You’ve said that once before!”) I KNOW! But hey, isn’t that what life is about? Learning over and over again…

P.S

Let’s just say after I had pizza for lunch today, I’ve made a vow to boost my happy cells and get them to work again. Enough with the “what ifs” post now. Real action coming up… wish me luck? 😉