Don't leave anything for later...
Later, the coffee gets cold...
Later, you lose interest...
Later, the day turns into night...
Later, people grow up...
Later, people grow old...
Later, life goes by...
Later, you regret not doing something... when you had the chance...
Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again.
Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words.
So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. For in the end, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled.
excerpt from Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Reading these kinds of life philosophies, I realize that I grew up with them- they aren’t something new to me- because I was privileged to be raised by mature parents. I was smarter than most of my peers and did well in almost everything. All in all, it was easier for me to comprehend the things going on around me, thanks to their parenting during an experienced enough period of their lives. They are both such artistic beings; I grew up reading their works in their old photo albums and notepads.
My dad taught me everything- he was always there for me as a child and while I was growing up- through every single step of my life. Even though I didn’t have siblings, I never felt alone or bored (as most people assume). I haven’t met anyone as kind-hearted and sincere as him anywhere else in the world I have been or seen.
He taught me to be present in the moment, to take risks, to stay calm even in the strongest storms, and, no matter what happens, to be kind. Never heard him cursing. He was always eager to listen to what I had to say(something I rarely encounter in other parents). He was tolerant of my views on life as I started forming my own opinions and never forced his beliefs or principles on me. Was always gentle with me and my mom.
He was a very stable person- faithful. He never changed his job or workplace, even though he had better opportunities. At times during his retirement, we would talk about what if he did and how could things be different, and even at those moments, he encouraged me to learn from his experience- to never get stuck in one place.
Life is all about the experiences you go through, and now I feel like someone who is 75+ because of all the stories I was told- not just stories, but real-life experiences: a little bit about life during the war, a little bit about life afterward, a little bit about life in a family with around 12 children, a little bit about life in the early independence years, and a little bit about life in Siberia as a soldier.
I am so grateful for being raised by such resourceful parents, so grateful they raised me in a place surrounded by nature, taught me to love it and be part of it, taught me how to grow my own food, and showed me how to enjoy the simple things in life.
Now, as I reside in a big city, I understand how important these things are for children.
We had a lot of plans for the future… but at least, I am happy that I could tell him that I love him when I had the opportunity🤍
Pls, don’t lose the opportunity when you have it!
