By Irma Peña | LTVN Managing Editor
In a recent editorial, it was stated, “Tomorrow is not promised.” The phrase has stuck with me, especially in light of the numerous losses that have occurred lately. Death has a way of making those words feel less like a cliché and more like reality.
For me, this phrase was somewhat personal. Two years ago, I lost a close friend who was like a brother to me. That moment shattered me in ways I can’t fully explain, but it also woke me up. Although it breaks my heart to think of all the things I’m now experiencing that he won’t get to experience, it forced me to confront how fragile life really is.
Since then, I’ve carried with me the belief that we should live every day like it could be our last. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Life doesn’t pause for our plans, our fears, our “maybes” or our “what ifs.” If there’s something you want to do, say yes. If there’s someone you love, tell them. If there’s a risk you’ve been afraid of, take it.
The song “Til You Can’t” by Cody Johnson captures this perfectly. It reminds us to make the most of the time we’re given, because one day, we won’t be able to. We continue to put things off because we think, “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” but tomorrow might not come.
At the same time, I’ve also been thinking about how we view death itself. Last week, while volunteering with kids, I was having a conversation with a 4-year-old, and he asked me, “Did you know my aunt died?” I responded with the automatic, “I’m so sorry.” Then he looked at me and said, “Why? She’s in heaven now.”
That moment hit me, making me pause for a second. As adults, we often see death as an endless grief, a hole that never fully closes. I still cry when I think about my friend because I miss him deeply. But maybe there’s also a different way to hold that loss.
Not just as an absence, but as a reminder that those we love might be in a better place — happy, free and maybe even having a blast — as that little boy unintentionally put into perspective for me.
“Tomorrow is not promised” isn’t a warning — it’s an invitation. An invitation to live with urgency, to love without hesitation and to find comfort in knowing that when life ends, it might just be the beginning of something even greater.
So don’t wait. Tell the people in your life how much they mean to you. Don’t hold grudges; forgive. Go to that get-together. Make plans with your friends. Take that chance or risk you’ve been meaning to take. Live your life. Because the truth is, tomorrow isn’t promised — today is.
