Normally I never answer a call when I do not recognize the phone number. This time was different. I said hello wondering who was calling me. It was my assistant’s neighbor. She was calling to let me know that my executive assistant, Cecilia, was in the emergency room. I asked what was wrong. She did not know much other than Cecilia’s daughters had called 911. The paramedics arrived and took Cecilia to the emergency room. The doctors were running tests. She would call me tomorrow with an update.
She was gone the next day
I was in the office early the next day. Cecilia’s neighbor called me. She was sobbing. I was not prepared for what she told me. Cecilia had passed away early that morning. No way – she was gone. I was not sure what to do next. One of Cecilia’s peers was in the office. I told her the news. She cried. I went into my office and called my boss. He handled the news well. I hung up the phone, closed my door and cried. I never cry at work. Never.
Why I wrote this billboard
The passing of Cecilia was shocking. She was at work in the office on a Friday and gone by the next Tuesday morning. I knew Cecilia had medical issues over the years, but never thought she would leave the world so suddenly. It was a complete surprise to all of us, including her.
She was not ready to go
I know that Cecilia was not ready to leave this world because she would have behaved differently her last days on earth. Cecilia was a single mom who worked full-time to support her family which included two daughters. She worked somewhat odd hours in order to be there for her girls. Everything seemed normal until I received that call. Reflecting back I can see clearly now why I was so shocked by the news of Cecilia’s passing.
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right
Time of Your Life, song by Green Day
I hope you had the time of your life n
Death is hard to handle
Death is always difficult for me. It may be for you as well. The older you get the more often you hear about someone you know passing away. It is a simple fact of life. The past few years I lost several friends, classmates, and colleagues to include some close to me like Cecilia. I wrote about this before when talking about why 2018 was a hard year.
We were all shocked by her death
Cecilia’s death was shocking because she was so young – younger than me. She was also strong, a cancer survivor. Anytime I learn of someone I know dying if affects me. It makes me think about my own mortality, especially if the person is younger than me. The reality is that none of us know how long we will get in this world. Cecilia’s death was a solemn reminder to me.
Forever young
Forever Young song by Alphaville
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, and ever
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
Cecilia’s sudden passing had a profound effect on me. I decided to honor her during the year. Cecilia was Dutch. I had never visited Holland. Kim and I decided to go there for our summer vacation. It was a great time. I learned about Dutch culture which helped me better understand Cecilia. It sounds goofy, but I purchased a Holland sticker to put on my laptop in honor of Cecilia. Whenever I saw it last year, it made me think of her.
What about you?
Do you ever think about your own mortality? When I was your age, it seemed like I would live forever. Now that I am older, I know better. I hope you learn this lesson earlier in life than I did.
Life is short. You never know when the end will come. It may be right around the corner.
Dad