My dad would always tell us that people tend to take life for granted until they visit the hospital and see what other people are battling with everyday, and all of a sudden, they get to understand how lucky themselves are for having good health.
A couple of days ago, I had overheard one of my neighbors having a conversation with another neighbor. And I'm not so sure what the conversation was about, but somewhere along the line, neighbor number one had made a comment about how he's not scared of dying, because when it's your time, then it's your time.
Although what he was saying wasn't entirely wrong, it was the way he said it, almost like he was giving the impression that he's the kind of man who's always ready to welcome death at his doorstep, any time, any day.
Well, it turned out that unfortunately, his in-law had lost his life at his work a couple of months ago, and the burial was two days ago. He came back after the burial, and when I saw him, I had asked him how it went because he had told me about the burial before he traveled.
His reply immediately reminded me about the hospital stuff, because this same guy who had claimed to be ready for death a while back suddenly seemed to be shaken by it after witnessing them put a man that he used to know when he was alive, six feet into the ground, and cover him up.
It was a tragic thing to witness, especially seeing how the man who died was still very young and left six kids behind. But it also made my neighbor appreciate life more. And I honestly doubt I'd be hearing him talk so carelessly about how he's ready for the afterlife any time soon.