Those who know me, know I am a huge NY Mets fan. A few days ago Tom Seaver passed away. He had many nicknames but the nickname Franchise was more than just a name, it was a reality. Tom Seaver to the Mets is like Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Yes the Yankees had other all-time great players but it was Babe Ruth that the foundation of their current 28 world championships was built on. Seaver was the Mets foundation player.

2020 has been a year like no other and maybe we should have known this would be a strange year when Kobe Bryant, his daughter and others were tragically taken from us in that January helicopter crash. Most recently Chadwick Boseman. Although I didn’t know Chadwick, like many of us if we enjoyed the iconic roles he played (James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and of course my favorite Jackie Robinson) so for many his death hurt because we felt like a member of our family died. But what about when an actual friend or family member passes? Someone we hold near and dear to our heart. Yes, people give their condolences and the typical sorry for your loss. But it doesn’t really make the pain any less.

If we lived forever we would not appreciate or value life, but because we all must die it puts a strong importance on life and how valuable life truly is. Since we can’t do anything about the death of a friend or family member the only practical advice I can share is that we value today and the time we have with our spouse, siblings, friends and just tell them how much you love them and give them a hug. Don’t take them for granted because tomorrow isn’t promised and since we don’t know when God will remove us from this world. Don’t hold off until tomorrow to tell someone you love them because tomorrow may not come for you or that special person in your life.

Death is what makes life special. Cherish your life and those in your life and let them know with an extra hug, kiss, text message that they are special and add joy to your life knowing they are a part of life.