Thank you for this thought-provoking story, Matt. It's true — we don't know what we've got until it's gone. None of us escapes grief. There are losses I thought I'd never recover from, but here I am. Grief can crush us but later be a catalyst for growth and change.

I love your dad's wise words,

"Time is a currency. The older we get, the less we have."

Time is the most important currency we'll ever handle. I think of this more and more the older I get. Like you, I am consciously living my life now in a way that won't leave me with regrets.

Keep writing.