Time becomes very important to someone with an incurable disease like Huntington's. There is no time to waste when it comes to living life and letting people know how much you care about them because there is no way of knowing when that time will run out.

While it is difficult, we can not let yesterday or tommorrow use up too much of today. There is no time to waste on petty things that just do not matter in the big scheme of things. Now is the time to mend fences and work things out with loved ones. Before time slips away and it becomes too late.

I have seen this first hand in my life. One of my best friends was killed in a tragic accident in April this year, and two people I love more than life are dying of cancer. Time takes on a whole new meaning when you are looking at months, instead of years or lifetimes. And you find yourself regretting all the time you allowed to pass because you thought you had all the time in the world with that person.

So much sorrow and so little time. I try hard to stay strong as I know they are both worrying about my having HD and my having to deal with the fact they are terminally ill. I would sell my soul for another year with them. Or to turn back the clock of time and spend more time the next time around. But the reality of it is, that there is not a single thing I can do, but to accept it.

I thought that having HD meant that everyone I knew would outlive me. Just another reminder that there are so much worse/faster illnesses out there than Huntington's. Cancer is at the top of that list; what a tragic waste of life it is for people of all ages! And so many families have lost someone they love to it.

I feel sorry for the people around me connected to my two dying family members as some have even more regrets then I do. They are grieving over wasted time and that breaks my heart for them. No one can go back in time so there is only the here and now to try to make things right between them all. There is sadness all around me.

It is a shame that it takes an impending tragedy to bring people back together. But that is what it takes for alot of families, including my own. We all get busy in life; there is always so much going on and so much to do that at the end of the day we can forget to make time for others. And then we live to regret that.

The lesson here is to invest the time here and now to save regrets later on in life. You always think there will be another time to connect with someone, but one of these days you could be wrong. We just have no idea how precious time and life is until it is threatened or taken away suddenly. It is then that we see the true value of both. But it is usually after the fact.

Years ago I saw an exercise in a book meant to open up the lines of communication. Each person was suppose to pretend there was a major disaster and you and your loved one(s) were about to be evacuated separated with a big chance that you would never see each other again. You are given five minutes and a piece of paper to write what may well be your last words to that person. What would you write?

It is quite an eye opening experience. You realize what is truly important and all the petty stuff slips away. It also gives us a preview of the things we would regret not having said, if we did not get a chance to see that person again. If we were to apply that five-minute rule to everyone we care about in life, we would have little to regret. We would also learn a lot about what is important to us and what is not. It would leave us to question why we do not share what is deep in our hearts until the very last minute.

I know it is human nature, but I can not tell you why that is. There are a lot of things that we all do automatically without really thinking about it -- built-in defenses, keeping people at arms length, not sharing our feelings and isolating ourselves from the people who love us. It takes a lot to be honest with ourselves but it takes even more to be honest with others. To risk sharing. And to ultimately realize that if you are too busy to spend time with family and friends, then you are too busy.