Vive ut vivas.

On Sunday my Grandmother died. She was 90, an indomitable flame-haired Scotswoman whom I thought would live forever. But she was 90, and even the toughest Glaswegian must succumb as we all must to time, for such is the very basic tenet of life. As ye live, so shall ye die.

Harder to accept was the sudden death the following day of my partner's stepfather, John. John was only 64, had worked his arse off his whole life in London for one company at a job he detested, and was but two weeks out from retirement. He had a cross-off calendar taped to the fridge, and every second sentence out of his mouth started with "When I'm retired..". They, he and my partner's mother, had planned to emigrate to Spain later this year, as per the Great English Dream. And so a dream was all it was, and all it ever will be now.

Don't leave your dreams until too late. Live your life now, rather than setting aside time for it in the future, for time won't wait and bears little respect for the humble desires and whims of lowly man. Don't wait until tomorrow to tell him that you love him, don't leave it until next week when it's more convenient to write her a letter. Say what you must say now, for tomorrow you may have no voice. Live life, love life, and love.