Vacation thoughts

Way back when I moved to inside sales at my current place of employment I was given a customer that several people were not overly keen on handling. I had some experience with them from my days working at TVBS, where they also were employed, although at different branches.
We got to be somewhat friends did Gabe, Steve and I, although they were obviously much closer friends than I. Still, I have gone out for a night with Steve and his wife and a couple of their friends a handful of times. We enjoyed hanging out and chatting. He used to ask me bits of advice about this and that, although that became much less frequent after they both left the industry and moved on. Still, we maintain contact through e-mail.
After leaving the industry Steve kind of ballooned up. Being less active meant all the food he was consuming was staying with him instead of being expended in work. He was always a tall guy, very friendly, nice guy. Always had a smile on his face.
His wife Karen and he were both heavily into karate, although he is more a watcher than participator. She, on the other hand, does tournaments here, across the pond in the U.K., and is very serious about it.
Not too long ago he got into real estate. He is doing very well there. For the first time since the partnership between he & Gabe dissolved he was an outstanding success with a great and bright future.
Until he had a nightmare. At least, that is what Karen thought was happening. He was thrashing about as he often did whendreaming karate dreams. But it wasn't a dream or a nightmare.
It was a heart attack. And it got him. By the time the EMTs got there he was gone. He was I think 37 or 38, certainly very close to that age. So young. His future was so bright. He had a beautiful wife he loved, a job he was good at, hobbies he enjoyed, friends close to him...and just like that he has nothing.
On this vacation I am on, I have done a lot of not very important stuff. Lately at work I have been getting more and more stressed. And while I do love my job the fact remains...at some point I have to remember it just isn't all that important. If I wasn't there, someone else would do my job. If our company closed down, another would step in to take its place. When things go wrong, they soon get fixed. Often they are completely forgotten within the day.
Yeah, I connect those two thoughts. This has been kind of a rough year what with Greg dying, my Uncle Bob dying, Steve dying...and all too young, too unexpectedly. It is a tragedy in each case for those of us who know them and like or love them. We miss them. But do we learn the lesson?
Because I am who I am it is unlikely I will take my job any less seriously, but I certainly hope I loosen up about it a little and make sure to spend the time I have with my friends and loved ones. I should never let my job get me to a place where I essentially do nothing for 2 - 3 days just to release the tension from my job.
I grieve for the family and friends of Steve. No doubt in a few days I will go to his funeral and in many ways that will be the end of it. Because we tend to not let our minds dwell on tragedies and things we have no control over. Which is why this lesson keeps coming back around and needing to be learned.