If Life Stopped at 42: A Letter a Mother Wrote to Herself

A letter to myself

The same age — 42.

Today I saw a piece of news.

The same age — 42.

His life

stopped today.

And I

still have tomorrow.

In that moment,

I did not feel afraid.

Instead, it was very quiet.

Quietly, I remembered

that we had always assumed

there was still so much time in life.

But the truth is,

no one knows

on which day their own life will stop.

Before 42,

I worked hard, without stopping.

Hard, to build my career.

Hard, to earn money.

Hard, to take care of my family.

Hard, to give my children a better future.

I once thought

all of this was simply a given.

It was only today

that I realised

waking up to each new day

is itself a gift.

If life really does stop at 42,

I hope

that what I leave behind

is not only the numbers in a bank account.

Not only a house and a car.

What I hope for even more

is that everything I worked to create

can go on protecting the people I love most.

So that my children

can grow up with peace of mind.

So that my other half

does not have to carry all the pressure alone.

Because

true wealth

is not how much you have.

It is whether, when I am no longer here,

it can still go on caring for my family.

So,

starting today,

I will live more earnestly.

Earnestly be there for my children.

Earnestly love those beside me.

Earnestly cherish every chance to come home.

And earnestly plan,

so that if one day I leave first,

my love

can still remain.

Because life has no "what ifs."

But love can be prepared in advance. ❤️