This past month, two people I know have died.  They were not close friends, so I do not grieve as I would if I had known them better.  But, I’m not really ready to have people I know die.

It also makes me so aware of the importance of keeping contact with those who have been meaningful in my life.

Recently, I met with a male client in his 60s who was talking about his best friend when he was younger.  The two men were in each other’s weddings, shared a lot more than he ever shared with any other man.  They were in business together, but years ago had a difference of opinion, and stopped talking.  He has had no contact in over 20 years.

In our discussion, it became clear that if something were to happen to his wife, he would be pretty much alone.  I shared with him a falling out I had with a dear friend years ago.  After a few years of not talking, I called her – out of the blue – and told her we had too much history to lose each other now.

He listened, and I swear his eyes got a bit damp.  After a moment, he said, “I really miss Philip.”  Although he is not a man of many words, he said a huge amount with these four.

At the end of the session, he mentioned they still had friends in common so he could find out how to contact him if he wanted to.

I hope he does.  Really, if you have a history with someone and you’ve lost touch, think carefully: do you really want to never have this person in your life again?

Don’t wait until someone dies – it’s too late then.