What a Tragedy
When the Important Becomes Invisible
What a tragedy it is that the people and moments that matter most are so often pushed aside. We carve out time for chores, deadlines, and obligations—everything and everyone else—but the people we love get only what’s left. By the time we realise our error, the chance to be fully present may be gone.
We don’t always lose things through catastrophe. Sometimes, we lose them through neglect—through the slow erosion of attention.
There are people and moments in our lives that matter deeply: the laughter of a child, the quiet faithfulness of a partner, the wisdom of an aging parent, the friend who checks in just to say hello. Yet these are often the very things we take for granted.
We carve out time for our jobs, our chores, our screens, and our responsibilities. But those we love most often get only what remains. And tragically, it is only when they are no longer with us—or when the opportunity has slipped away—that we realise the depth of our loss.
What Might We Be Missing?
- Spouses and partners, buried beneath routine
- Children, growing while we’re distracted
- Parents, aging in silence
- True friends, fading with each unanswered message
- Moments of peace, sacrificed to endless busyness
- Spiritual health, ignored until crisis hits
- Our own hearts, unheard in the noise
What Can We Do About It?
1. Prioritise the Irreplaceable
Reorder your life around who, not just what. Treat time with loved ones as sacred—not leftovers.
2. Create Rhythms, Not Just Events
Small habits matter. Weekly dinners. No-phone walks. A bedtime story. A call every Friday.
3. Say It While It Matters
Affirmation delayed is often affirmation denied. Say the things that need saying now.
4. Guard Against the Urgent
Urgency masquerades as importance. Learn to say no to protect what matters most.
5. Embrace Rest and Presence
A Sabbath mindset—however you define it—reminds us we are more than what we produce. Be present. Be still.
In the End
The tragedy is not just that we lost something, but that we never realised what it was until it was too late.
Let’s change that.
“The true tragedy is not loss, but realising too late what we had.”
— Osé Dergriff
We give our energy to the urgent and overlook the essential.
We assume there will be time later—but later rarely waits.
Make space for what and who truly matters.
Before it becomes a memory.
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