Life is Fragile. Cherish Every Moment.

My daughter and I

At the office, I usually have an early dinner with my colleagues. We talk about everything: work, family, and whatever else comes up.

One afternoon, a colleague mentioned that his eldest son visited him in Jakarta. His wife, he said, always cried whenever their son returned to Balikpapan. But for him, the distance wasn’t really a problem.

“My wife is sad because she and our son are really close, they love joking around. Meanwhile, my son and I aren’t that tight. But what gets me is seeing him become independent and can buy whatever he wants. He even wanted to buy me a Green Day merch with his own money,” he said.

That made me think. My colleague may have been used to being the provider. And now that his son no longer relies on him financially, a different kind of sadness is creeping in.

I can’t fully relate yet. My daughter is only seven and still depends on me for everything. But as the breadwinner and the main provider for my family, I can imagine feeling the same way someday.

And honestly, it stings a little when I see friends buying concert tickets, purchasing expensive things, or traveling overseas while I’m here paying mortgage and school fees. But I remind myself that this is the life I chose, and it won’t be forever. One day, the mortgage will be paid off. One day, my daughter will no longer need my support. She will move out and build a life with her husband. Eventually, she might not need my help at all.

And that will be even harder to accept.

Watching our children grow up in the blink of an eye is a stark reminder of how fragile life is. Time slips away so quickly, and we have to treasure every moment.

So, I won’t complain about feeling emotionally burdened anymore. Instead, I want to make time for what truly matters and be fully present, appreciating my surroundings and those around me.