Someone I knew died the other week. Suddenly and unexpectedly.

He was a previous boss. Someone who I had seen everyday for almost three years, many years ago. And most importantly one of the few people in this world who I truly felt believed in me.

While the nature of my job means I’ve been propelled to the other side of the country and hadn’t seen him in years, it didn’t make the blow any less. If anything it made it worse.

In the days that followed news of his death I saw a huge outpour of love and admiration online.

Posts. Likes. Shares. Tributes. In the hundreds.

But as I read it all, I wondered if he ever knew just how much he meant to so many people while he was alive.

And I’m genuinely afraid perhaps he did not. I worried if I personally failed to show any appreciation for the role he played in my life. If he knew how much his support meant to me.

And i’m afraid the answer is perhaps, “No.”  Which leads to ask the question, “do the people i love and adore know why i love and adore them? Do I make enough effort to make that known?”

Death is a strange thing in the way it brings people together.  I hate that it takes a tragedy for us to reconnect with others.  I hate that i’m 100% guilty of it.

And by all means i’m am one for respecting the dead –  at this point I admit the title of this blog was mere click bait.

All I’m suggesting is that maybe we should like, and share and post hundreds of comments about the people we love and admire while they’re still alive.  While they can read it.  While they can appreciate it.

I would hate to think anyone is going a day not knowing all the reasons why their unique footprint on the world is appreciated by those around them.

Let’s respect the dead.  But maybe we should respect the living even more.