Later Never Came

 

My grandmother turned 79, and I remember quietly telling myself that we would celebrate her 80th birthday in a grand way. Eighty felt special—eight decades of life, memories, struggles, and love. That milestone deserved something big, I thought.

But my father didn’t wait. He brought a cake, and our family gathered around her that day. There was nothing extravagant—just familiar faces, soft laughter, and a woman who looked deeply happy in that moment. When she smiled, it felt like time had slowed down. It was one of those ordinary moments that you don’t realize is extraordinary until much later.

Two months later, she was gone.

That was when it hit me: that celebration had been her last birthday. Not the grand 80th I had imagined, but a simple 79th—made meaningful only because we chose not to postpone it.

Even today, when I think about it, I feel relieved that we celebrated. If we hadn’t, the memory might have been replaced by regret—the kind that stays with you forever.

Life taught me a quiet but powerful lesson through her: there is no perfect timing. We keep waiting for the right number, the right day, the right moment. But life doesn’t follow our plans.

So celebrate now. Say what needs to be said. Do what your heart tells you today. Live fully and meaningfully in the present, because tomorrow is never guaranteed.