It's Not a Big Deal

In 2009, I was watching television after packing for a trip to Thailand I was about to take the next morning. While watching TV, my grandfather walked in front of the television and started a conversation with my dad. I gave him the "hey bro!" look, which he didn't notice, and continued conversing with my dad. Defeated, I turned off the TV and went out to see some friends. I got home late, and left for the airport early the next morning, I didn't wake up my grandfather to say bye. 
Halfway into my trip, my sister calls me to say that my grandfather had passed away. He was healthy, it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. There was a flood of emotion and regret, especially when I thought about our last interaction.

This post isn't about my regrets. My grandfather was a G, he passed away without saying bye to anyone, and loved me as much as the old man could. This post is about how the loss of my grandfather impacted my father, and how that trickled down into me. 
A year after his death, I quit my job as a teacher and chased this life as Humble The Poet full time, and that wouldn't have been possible unless my father said a life-changing statement to me. He said, "Do what you want, we'll all be dead soon." When he first said it, I saw it as something a son would say after just losing their father, but beyond his personal mourning, he's right. 
Whoever you are reading this, you're at a different stage in your life, and you've figured out a list of things, people, cultures, ideas, and rules holding you back. As you slowly move past them, you'll realize the biggest cages you're in are the ones you built for yourself. Much of that is fear, but remembering that your time is limited is the thing that can help you break free from that. 
Remembering death isn't depressing, it's freedom. One day this will be over for all of us, so let's spend this time on the things we want. I respect other people, cultures, ideas, and even rules. But none of them deserve to keep me from the purpose I've either chosen or discovered for myself. Get out of these boxes, you're not going to be here forever. Nothing in your life is a big deal 100 years from now. #BLESS