Lessons that my dying cat, Bob, taught me about life and living

A few months ago, I watched my kitten Bob, with whom I had developed a deep and mutual connection, die.

Bob had been run over by my mum on that fateful evening, a classic case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I sadly watched him take the last breath of his proverbial nine lives and, in a split second, he was no more. As I watched his lights gradually dim and finally go out, I had an epiphany on the true meaning of life.

I found his death a metaphor for life—one minute you are alive, the next you are gone. Death is inevitable. What is sad about life is that everyone will die but not all will have lived.

It’s tragic that, upon your demise, your life will be summarised into a half-an-inch dash. Whether you died at birth or after a century of a life well-lived, it will all come down to that dash. My question to you is: What are you doing with your dash? And how will it be summarised?

Time is too precious to waste. Learn to live without regrets. We are all ticking time bombs and every year lived, you unknowingly pass your future death anniversary. So let’s learn to live in the moment and enjoy every day as if it’s the last.

Grumble less and smile often and remember do not worry too much about tomorrow because you will miss the blessings of today. Approach each day with a heart of gratitude and watch as everything falls into place.

Unnecessary fights

Value your inner peace, your emotional well-being and always prioritise your mental health. Strengthen your walk with God.

Learn to let things slide to avoid grudges and picking up unnecessary fights. Take the risk now and decide to chase after your dreams. Nelson Mandela once said: “There is no passion found in playing small and settling for a life that’s less than the one you are.” Most of us have been blinded by money—all we do is strive to make more of it.

Money should not be our sole purpose in life. Strive to live and relate better with people by putting a smile on their faces.

Have a great week ahead!

Carlos studies construction management at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Are you aged 10-20 and would like to be Nation’s young reporter? Email your 400-600-word article to [email protected]