The uncertainty of later

I heard a quote today that immediately struck me. "There may not be a later". Throughout my day I mentally go through the tasks at hand, and then categorize what needs to be done now and what can be done later. Now, if later doesn't come and my laundry basket is still full or I didn't get the mail, I don't think it will affect anyone's life. But this truth should be paramount when it comes to relationships. We are not guaranteed our next breath. When I talked to my mom briefly as she boarded her ship in Seattle, I had no idea it would be our last conversation. I think if we all experienced a sense of urgency more when it comes to relationships, we would send a quick text, mail a card, return a phone call, make dinner plans, follow through on a promise, resolve an argument. Regret is a nearly impossible emotion to get over. The past cannot be redone. A few days after my mom's memorial service, I received a post card that she had sent to me from Seattle. Now, if I had gotten someone a postcard while on vacation, I would have most certainly not actually mailed it until after I returned home (if even then). My mom didn't though. She made the extra effort to fill it out and send it the day she bought it. I can't express the significance of that act. That postcard might as well be gold to me. I hope that one of my last actions while here on earth is for someone else. My mom felt that urgency and almost always lived everyday as if there wouldn't be a later.