STOP TAKING PEOPLE FOR GRANTED

Why You Should Change Before It Is Too Late.

---

If someone you cared for passed away today, could you say that you loved them to the fullest? Last year B.C. (before Corona), I wrote this in my journal. I was sitting back, thinking about life and how we so often take each other for granted. One minute your loved one is here, and the next, they are gone. Life changes in an instant, and you often question yourself afterward, wishing that you could’ve done or said more. Spent more time, argued less, and said, I love you more.

“Do we want to be right more than we want to be in a relationship with people?”

I am guilty of this myself. How many times have I argued with my boyfriend and not spoken to him for days at a time? More times than fingers on my hands, that’s for sure. We hold grudges against people because it is more important to be right than love. And for what, how much do we really gain by holding our love hostage? Is this one moment of frustration or disagreement bigger than the love we have for one another? If something happens to you or me tomorrow, was being upset worth it? Ask yourself, do you want to be right more than you want to be in a healthy relationship? It certainly feels great to prove a point, but that is a false narrative. If the other person never sees your side, you really haven’t proved anything other than your great at staying mad.

Let me also not leave out the family and friends we don’t check on enough because we are so wrapped up living our lives. On many occasions, I have let life responsibilities get in the way of me making time for those I care about. Whether it was telling my child, I am too tired to play or telling myself I can’t visit my parents for an hour because I have so much stuff to get done. Not taking into account that they may need a good word or hell just to know someone is even thinking about them. You can’t just wait for people to open up because many of us will choose to suffer in silence, then reach out. Waiting until an event or holiday comes around to catch up with folks is not enough. It can be something as simple as sending a text to a friend once a month. Bringing lunch over to your parents and chatting with them for an hour. Taking as little as twenty minutes a day to give your child your undivided attention. Our connections to one another should matter more than anything else on earth. After all, the people in our lives are what make life worth living.

2020 has been a year like no other. Over 250,000 lives were lost because of COVID-19. Loved ones were forced to die alone. We were told we couldn’t visit with our friends and family. This pandemic took a lot from us. We went from having all the access in the world to severe restrictions. So from here on out, we should all practice being more intentional with how we value the people in your life. Do not let how you feel or what you have going on be the deciding factor on whether or not someone is deserving of your love, time, and attention. We are all living on borrowed time, so while we are blessed enough to be here, let us not waste it on the shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Share your comments down below. Do you check on your loved ones often? Have you ever taken anyone for granted? If so, how did you feel?

Subscribe to receive my blog post weekly and follow me on all social media platforms.