I lost my best friend, Richard H., under the best of circumstances. That may sound like a contradiction, and in many ways, it is. Richard didn’t pass away from illness or after a long battle with something painful. He left this world doing what he loved—living life to the fullest. Richard, an Atlanta native and an avid motorcycle rider, was one of the most motivated people I’ve ever known. He embraced life in a way that most of us can only imagine, with a passion that radiated through everything he did.
One Saturday morning, we were on the phone, just like we’d done a million times before. Richard was working on his truck, and unbeknownst to me, he’d also just purchased a new motorcycle that previous Monday. He and another friend were making modifications to improve its performance. As we wrapped up our conversation, he left me with a powerful reminder: “Live every day as if it were your last and with no regrets.”
Richard wasn’t the type to preach or quote scripture often. He didn’t fit the traditional image of a churchgoer, but his love for Christ was unwavering. His faith was quiet yet strong, present in how he lived and how he loved. He told me he’d call me back in a couple of hours, just like we always did. Little did I know, that would be the last time I would ever speak to him.
About an hour later, his fiancée called, sounding shaken and disoriented. Her voice trembled as she uttered the words, “He’s gone.” At first, I didn’t understand. I thought maybe he had left the house or perhaps they had a disagreement. But then, the gravity of her words sank in. Richard had died—within 90 minutes of our conversation, he was gone, the victim of a fatal motorcycle accident.
The pain was unbearable, the disbelief overwhelming. Yet in the midst of my grief, I couldn’t help but remember his last words to me: “Live every day as if it is your last.” That Saturday was Richard’s last, but he left this world doing what he loved. He lived with passion, with joy, and without regret, which has become a constant reminder for me to live the same way. I find comfort in Habakkuk 3:17-19:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.”