Tomorrow isn’t promised

This week we said goodbye to a much-loved member of our family, Uncle David.

Six years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. 

It would have been easy to focus on what he might lose, what he could no longer do, or how unfair life can sometimes be. 

Instead, he chose a different path.

Together, he and my aunt made a conscious decision to embrace life. 

They booked the holidays, bought the convertible, took trips abroad despite not always loving the idea of flying, enjoyed wonderful meals together, spent precious time with family, and created memories instead of waiting for the ‘right time’.

And perhaps most remarkably, despite the challenges Uncle David faced, he chose to focus on living rather than complaining about what life had dealt him.

His passing has left me reflecting on something we all know but often forget: none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.

We spend so much of our lives waiting. 

Waiting until work calms down. 

Waiting until we have more money. 

Waiting until the children are older. 

Waiting until we feel more confident, more prepared, more ready.

But life doesn’t always follow our timetable.

The truth is that there may never be a perfect time.

That doesn’t mean we should be reckless or abandon our responsibilities. 

It simply means we shouldn’t postpone living. Make the phone call. 

Book the trip. 

Learn the new skill. 

Say yes to the experience. 

Spend time with the people who matter.

Too often, we treat life as though it is waiting for us somewhere in the future, when in reality it is happening right now.

My uncle’s legacy isn’t the six years he spent living with cancer. It’s the way he and my aunt chose to spend those years. 

They filled them with experiences, laughter, love, family, and memories that will last far longer than the illness ever could.

And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all.

Sam ‘choosing to live’ Hobbs