When there’s no ‘next time:’ making peace in the present

It was a classmate’s passing in 2022 that became the catalyst for my husband, Bob and I to take a leap of faith and “retire” early, sell most of our furnishings and relocate to Northern Arizona and a little cabin in the woods. During my travels last summer, I had arranged to connect with another friend from school—someone I’d grown close to over the past dozen years—instead, his last-minute text read, “Let’s try another time.” Just a few weeks ago, I learned of his death. He’d been planning an early retirement in the fall, and I was excited to applaud this milestone. But now, his passing serves as a reminder of my mortality, the fragility of life and the absence of guarantees. Because the reality is—there isn’t always a “next time.” So in my book, there’s no better time than today to do whatever it is we’ve put off, while we still have the chance.

What must you do to make peace in the present?

Photo by: Valeriia Miller on Unsplash