Not Here Long Enough...

We spend our entire lives trying to ignore the one thing that is certain in life: death. It's not a pretty topic, it's not something any of us like to think about. And because of that, we sometimes forget that it is a major part of all our lives, until we are reminded.

I've been reminded a lot lately. The obituary section has been increasingly hard - as I've talked about before. But this week Mr. Barry McWilliams' obituary came to my desk. As many of you know, Barry drew the amazing editorial cartoons featured on this page each week. He was the cartoonist when I worked here twelve years ago. He welcomed me with open airs when I took over, reminding me of several funny things that had happened my first stint at the Ledger, brought me the book of his drawings "This Ain't Hell, But You Can See It From Here" and visited occasionally.

From the moment I took over the Ledger I wanted to do an article on Barry. A Name to the Face piece to remind everyone that our cartoons were drawn by a local - an amazing artist. Barry and I bantered back and forth over email, hemming and hawing over when to get together, or email questions, or the like - never getting an article written. And now he's gone. That article won't get written. He wasn't here long enough.

But was it that he wasn't here long enough, or was it because I thought he'd always be around? I have friends who have lost their parents, even lost their children; but in my head, until recently, that really never dawned on me that it could happen to me. They'll be around forever. I will always have them. They'll be there when I can get to them.

It isn't true. And we fool ourselves thinking that it is. No one is here long enough. All of our questions will never be answered. Someday, that person who is always there won't be. And its terrible, and its sucks, and its life.

I admit that I've put things off lately. Looked at my parents house and thought I should stop by, but then decided it against it because I'm "tired". Put an article off because that person will be there next week. Not played a video game with my kid because I have "better" things to do.

And the kicker, I'M not going to be around forever - so everything comes full circle. We need to make time for our loved ones. Make time now: no one is here long enough.