Within the last few years, I’ve seen some of my company’s employees passed away so suddenly due to cancers and stroke. I’m so grateful for the health that I have right now, although tomorrow may be different. I watched the movie Kung Fu Panda with my children often and I found a quote in the movie that’s so true… “yesterday is history, today is a gift (that’s why they call it the present) and tomorrow is a mystery”. I truly believe today is the result of what we’d done yesterday and tomorrow will be the result of what we’ve done today… Karma. I try to live today, best for me, my family, society and my country, tomorrow will always be positive and productive because Positive Karma always brings good things.
I feel sad when I sit in a project meeting, about a project that was put off from Jeff B. a year ago. I heard he’d died a few months. I don’t know him well, just feel like I’ve known him forever. It’s early 2000, I saw him riding his motorized razor around the campus, I thought he was so geeky but extremely sporty. He’s very well educated, PhD I heard, Engineering director of our company, always slim and fit with a nice well trimmed beard, he did smile often. Life was good then for him, I could see and admire.
Just in the last few years, after a divorce (I heard), not a very easy one, he was stressed out from financial problems with the ex and the college kid(s), he had a stroke. He lost so much weight, still slim and fit, but not very healthy, bright and happy as before. He was demoted to project manager, then program manager, from office to cubicle. He didn’t have much enthusiasm with work, he was let go, a few months later, he had another stroke, that was the last one (I heard). I worked with him the last few projects, he seemed to be a very nice person, always smiling and I really liked him. For some reasons, with all the stories I hear about his situation, I felt his death was so quick, young and lonely not like David C.
David C. also died this year, I went to group lunch with him a few times. He was young and timid, very helpful always. He bought an old Porsche 911 or 912 for a restoration project, I thought it was midlife crisis. I never had a chance to see the car. He’s always slim and fit just like Jeff B. He took leave of absent a few months, then passed away due to cancer (I heard), but he had his family around him.
These days, people die so fast, so young… Rich, poor or so so, it doesn’t matter. Silicon Valley people work hard, live hard, may be that’s why they die young. Technology is moving so fast for the better, and the people die quickly also, sometimes I feel I should say goodbye to people today or any time I can see them because I may not have a chance to say later.
Most stress due to money, relationships and… money. Yes, money doesn’t bring happiness, but it sure helps, but being well is more important, when you’re well, you’re productive, money will come… America will never let anyone dies of starvation.
David C. is well off, no stress from money, but cancer – doesn’t discriminate rich or poor.
Today, I make sure my family is happy, my work is done well, my co-workers are smiling when they see me, pull over to the side for bikers to pass, yield to people to change lanes, smile, because, the mystery may not be bad at all tomorrow… another passionate and productive day!
RIP my co-workers.
1 Comment
Such a beautiful and meaningful writing! It does make my heart melt.