It’s hard to lose someone you love. My grandfather always says, “We were born to die, so enjoy life while you can.” While that’s a pretty scary thought, he’s right. There are some things in life we have no control over and death is one of them.

We do, however, have the choice to live our lives without regret. Indeed, there can be pain, challenges, and the occasional drama, but there can also be laughter, growth, love, and happiness-it all depends on you and how you choose to live your life. I had a conversation recently with someone who lost a close relative. This person now refuses to get close to anyone else due to the fear of losing them. Unfortunately, one of the harsh realities of life is that we will all lose someone. Another fact is that we also have the opportunity to enjoy and support the people in our lives. Yes, we will have hard times, and we will have triumphs, but before we leave this earth, we have the choice to live life to the fullest-to challenge ourselves, laugh, love, move forward and LIVE.

They say things happen for a reason and I believe that. Granted, we may not always know or understand the reason certain things happen, but please don’t let that be an excuse to hinder our existence. Learning and growing is as much a part of the cycle of life as death. And while we don’t know when we will leave this earth, we certainly can understand what we will do while we are here. Don’t let fear paralyze you from living your life or pursuing a goal or from allowing that special someone into your life.

So, it’s okay to grieve lost loved ones, but it’s also okay to move forward. I can’t promise you much, but I promise you won’t regret it.