Realization

I have lived a very privileged life at a young age. In fact, my whole family has lived a very fortunate life. I have gone on quite a few trips to some very unique and amazing places. I have gotten great presents and gifts that most people probably wouldn't be able to get. The list can just keep on going, but none of that really matters. When you lose the people you love the most in your life you being to realize how little that material stuff matters to you.
I lost my oldest sister the day after my 18th birthday to cancer. It was one of the most devastating days of my life. I realized that I never really got to know my sister that well. I didn’t take the time to go hang out with her or do a whole lot of anything with her, unless it was a family event. I might have been too immature at the time or whatever but I would take anything to get that time back.
A few weeks ago I lost my dad. I have never looked up to someone so much in my life than my dad. The way he did business and took control of everything and always made the smartest, most profitable move. Also, the way he loved his family and would do anything for us. There was not a second in our life that we didn’t feel loved or that he wouldn’t be there for us. I admired that about him. Again, I never really got to know my dad though, as much as I wanted too. We really began to start bonding and getting to know more about each other and truly talk when I was 18 or so years old. There is nothing I can do to get that back.
It has been a very rough 3 or 4 years but it also made me realize and have clarity on a lot of things. That I can have all the stuff in the world but if you don’t have the people you care about most in your life, that stuff doesn’t matter at all. You have to go after what you want in life and what will make you happy. Life is short and if you aren’t doing what makes you happy then get out and go find whatever that happiness is to you. At the end of the day the people that care about you and your happiness is the only thing that really matters and when you don’t have it, you’re going to wish you had it back.