"Time" is so Fleeting

"If we wait too long the opportunity might not ever present itself again." ~Mama Hen 

Someone I cared about passed away a couple of days ago. She had been ill for years and somehow recently I had lost touch. However, she was always on my mind. As time passed I kept saying to myself, "pick up the phone and call" and "sit down and write a letter". Somehow, I kept thinking there would always be "time". She called to invite me to her son's graduation and I was so excited to go. When I saw her last week I was sad that she had become so frail and I had not been there to support her outwardly. I gave her a hug and she asked if I was coming to a little celebration at her house after the graduation. I explained that I had to take my daughter for blood work, but that I would call and make plans to go to her house and catch up. Her radiant smile beamed as I handed her the gift I had brought for her son. I stroked her cheek and said, "I had no idea". As I left I kept wondering why I had let so much time pass without checking in and seeing how she was doing. This is a woman I have the utmost respect for. She dedicated her life to assuring her children would have a wonderful future. She was always upbeat during her battle with illness. She never complained. I have learned from this that there is truly no time like the here and now to tell the people you love how much you care for them. "Time" is something we are not sure of. It is so fleeting and must be embraced with fervor. I can't go back and change how I would have corresponded more with this amazing, beautiful, inspiring friend, but I can move forward and know that I will make sure to be more present and vocal in the lives of those who I love and care about.