Most of us parents are guilty of taking our children for granted. We get so caught up in life and its demands on us with chores and work, we forget that it’s the simple things that matter so much — making memories.
Losing a child is every parent’s worse fear and the heartbreak it must cause is unimaginable to those of us who still have our precious bundles.
Dad Richard Pringle went through this unimaginable event when his son, Hughie, passed away last summer following a brain hemorrhage.
Now the grieving parent has shared a list of the 10 most important lessons he has learnt through this heart-breaking tragedy. It’s a list all parents should read on a regular basis to remind us how precious life is and how blessed we are to have our children with us.
Little Hughie, was only 3 when he died; he had a brain condition but was doing well at the time of his death. “There was only a 5% chance of a bleed, but unfortunately that 5% chance happened last year and he didn’t survive,” Richard explained, as reported in the The Mirror.
One year after his death, Richard, from Hastings, in the U.K. shared a list of the most important things he learned. It’s a list that everyone should read, it’s a reminder not to take our loved ones for granted.
The list has gone viral, it’s touched the heart of so many. Here are Richard’s important life lessons.
1. ”You can never ever kiss and love too much. ”
2. ”You always have time. Stop what you’re doing and play, even if it’s just for a minute. Nothing’s that important that it can’t wait. ”
3. ”Take as many photos and record as many videos as humanly possible. One day that might be all you have.”
4. ”Don’t spend money, spend time. You think what you spend matters? It doesn’t. What you do matters. Jump in puddles, go for walks. Swim in the sea, build a camp and have fun. That’s all they want. I can’t remember what we bought Hughie I can only remember what we did.”
5. ”Sing. Sing songs together. My happiest memories are of Hughie sitting on my shoulders or sitting next to me in the car singing our favorite songs. Memories are created in music.”
6. ”Cherish the simplest of things. Night times, bedtimes, reading stories. Dinners together. Lazy Sundays. Cherish the simplest of times. They are what I miss the most. Don’t let those special times pass you by unnoticed”.
7. ”Always kiss those you love goodbye and if you forget. Go back and kiss them. You never know if it’s the last time you’ll get the chance.”
8. ”Make boring things fun. Shopping trips, car journeys, walking to the shops. Be silly, tell jokes, laugh, smile and enjoy yourselves. They’re only chores if you treat them like that. Life is too short not to have fun.”
9. ”Keep a journal. Write down everything your little ones do that lights up your world. The funny things they say, the cute things they do. We only started doing this after we lost Hughie. We wanted to remember everything. Now we do it for Hettie and we will for Hennie too. You’ll have these memories written down forever and when your older you can look back and cherish every moment.”
10. ”If you have your children with you. To kiss goodnight. To have breakfast with. To walk to school. To take to university. To watch get married. You are blessed. Never ever forget that ❤”
I can’t read this without getting emotional. It’s heart breaking what this family has had to endure and our hearts go out to them.
Life is crazy and these ten points are something we all can learn from. It’s easy to take the people around us for granted, but spending time together and making happy memories are so important , because you never know when it’s too late.
Please share so that more people can see this very important list.
