{
  "id": 9177273,
  "title": "The journey is short",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/the-journey-is-short",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T18:27:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/the-journey-is-short/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "September stirs up painful recollections for me. A year and a half ago, I lost my father. The incident felt sudden and unexpected. The images of our family never fade, regardless of the time elapsed since his passing. Death is an inevitable part of existence. Life's ultimate goal is death. While we grieve today, we must acknowledge the reality of our eventual fate. Even if we inhabit this Earth for a century, life remains too brief to assume we have it all. One day will inevitably be our last. No one can predict the events that each day may bring forth. We are unaware if today might be our final day. Death arrives without warning. It does not issue any forewarnings. Death is the friend who visits each of us once in our lives, but... no one knows when. Life is truly short. Life is so brief that it equates to six feet. Regardless of how long we aspire to live, our bodies can only extend six feet. We must strive to make the most of our lives while we can, for death is always lurking. Life is too short to accumulate a long list of excuses. Death reminds us that our aspirations have deadlines! Our lives can be extinguished in an instant. Today is a present, a gift bestowed upon us solely today. Make today count, do as much as possible. Tomorrow may never come. All we possess is the present. Tomorrow is a promise that may never be realized. The only promise is today — now. Life must be embraced. Our dreams must be pursued now. Those we cherish should be told now. Tomorrow may be too late, for we might be too late. Today is a gift in our possession. Tomorrow is a gift yet to be bestowed upon us. Everyone is promised tomorrow, but not all of us may ever receive that promise. So… when budgeting for life, don't forget to budget for death as well. When contemplating life, also consider death. Death is a reality we will all experience once in our lives. When planning life, plan for death as well. Plan for yourself and remember to include others too. All our lives on Earth are as short as six feet. Death is akin to an emergency, striking when we least expect it. Our stay in this life can be terminated at any moment. Life is as short as a dwarf. There's no point in competing with others over possessions when death is the ultimate arbiter of who lives and who doesn't. It's perplexing to resent others, whether rich or poor, when both can eventually descend to the same six-foot grave. Love your fellow human beings. No one is destined to live forever on this Earth. Our time on Earth is short, so while we await death to end that tenure, all we owe to others is our heart; our love. Live each day as though it were your last. Express love as though it were your first encounter. Life offers us the opportunity to live in love. Death offers us the opportunity to love those still alive. If the deceased are oblivious to the joys of life, why bother denying the living such delight? Love them now, while they still have breath, before they rest in the depths of Earth. Assist me today if you can; otherwise, the sole assistance I may receive tomorrow is to have my corpse carried. We all bear a debt to death that remains unpaid. While we await payment, we owe each other a debt of unwavering love. Treat your loved ones to a fulfilling life, not a fitting funeral. Shower them with admiration while they are alive, not after they have passed. Our living bodies deserve all the pleasure and attention society lavishes on our corpses. If we love someone, show it when they are alive, not when death has taken them away. If we knew our lives were only six feet long, we would be more humble. If we knew our lifespan was determined solely by the moment death arrives, we would treat others with greater love and consideration. If you have no ability to slam the door in the face of death when it arrives, you are still human. Love and respect all others as humans too. Death does not discriminate; it is colorblind. It knows no distinction between the rich and the poor. It rings the death knell for both the white and the black. When death knocks, there's no excuse to delay leaving, so don't make excuses as to why you can't live. Live your life to the fullest. Serve God. Serve others. Love all you can. Laugh all you ought. Pursue your dreams all you can. All you may have left is today, so ensure you leave no regrets if tomorrow never arrives. The journey is short. Make it meaningful. Life is too brief to harbor jealousy or bitterness. Live. Love. Laugh. Life is only six feet tall. All you have is today. Embrace it fully. Don't postpone any aspect of it. We should mourn our loved ones today not just, but also prepare to be mourned tomorrow.",
  "summary": "September brings back some bad memories. Half a decade ago, I lost my father. It hit me like a blow because I least expected it.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}