Death and Taxes

mor•tal•i•ty ~ noun

• The state or condition of being subject to death; mortal character, nature, or existence.

A very dear former boss of mine suffered a heart attack last week. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard it. He may be half a century old, but he’s by far, one of the fittest 50-year old dudes whom I know who can run rings around a futsal pitch of 20-somethings.

Fortunately, the damage was repairable. But I will never forget the angst-filled words of his missus: Please remind him that he has 2 boys and a wife who needs him to be around.

I have always thought this boss of mine had it all together. A dream that he has turned into reality, a challenging job, and a nice balance of work-and-home, despite the 14 hour-workdays. He’s one of those parent who takes time off work to come for school functions, cheering his boys on, taking on the teachers in deep debates on quality education, and putting a lot of pride in his home.

Yet, on that fateful Thursday afternoon, he nearly lost it all.

HBO has been showing Meet Joe Black again. It’s a good movie – one of those I could watch once a week and not be bored of. And last night, the following phrase stayed with me:

And I'm going to break precedent and tell you my one candle wish:
That you would have a life as lucky as mine,
Where you can wake up one morning and say,
"I don't want anything more."

I have been spending a lot of time, trying to piece together my life the last 5 years (From Fairview to Swiss Concept). The memories are hazy. Some events are etched firmly in my mind, but others escape me completely.

Take for example, my car registration card. I had apparently given it to my mum for safe-keeping last year. Yet, I was so sure I gave it to my brother to return to the leasing company. Or how I used to rush out of the house in such a hurry, I would end up sitting in the 4 feet space between the grill gate and the front door, waiting for my spare keys to arrive from Pups. Though I think the best one of all is that of a cousin of mine who moved to Australia, re-married, had a kid and all that, and I only “found out” about it when I saw them at the last Chinese New Year celebrations.

We often think that we’d have more time to do the things we want to.. later… After we’ve saved that million bucks in the bank… After we’ve snagged that corner office suite with the park-view… After we’ve bought that 8000 sq feet plot of land to build our 5-bedroom bungalow, with a connecting guest-house for the in-laws… After the kids have finished college and embarked on their own rat-race.

But do we ever stop to think of what if “Later” comes before “After”?

If time were to stop for me today – dare I say in all honesty that I don’t want anything more?

I cannot. For I have not had enough hugs, kisses and memory snapshots of my kids and the darnest things that they can say. For I have not had enough laughs and smiles and cheers with my good mates – Bear, Garlic, Mandy. For I have embraced enough opportunities to repay my parents and family for the love and support they have shown me. For I have not said “you’re important and you matter a great deal to me” to the one person I cherish.

At the end of the day, it’s not really about the number of contracts I bring in for neither the company, nor the size of the house that I live in.

It’s about living in the HERE and the NOW.

It’s about making the effort to do something that would bring a smile to someone’s face.

It’s about being extra-ordinary in ways people do not expect you to be.

It’s about putting your head on the pillow and thinking “Today was a GREAT day”

There are 60 seconds in a minute. 60 minutes in an hour. 24 hours in a day. 365 days in a year.

That’s a lot of time on our hands. What are you going to do with yours today?