‘I guess I’m never going to see you again’: how I learned to appreciate last moments | Joel Snape

Whether it's saying goodbye to a parent or watching a favourite film with your child, final moments happen much more than we realise. There is a power in acknowledging them

I watched ET recently with my six-year-old. He liked it, obviously - no child can resist a film in which grownups are bamboozled and frogs let loose, even if it can't match the unparalleled frenzy of The Super Mario Bros Movie - but he didn't love it. So I wonder if I will ever watch ET again. Maybe not. The child actors are wonderful and the score is majestic, but there are a lot of excellent films. I might be done with this one. At least, I thought, absolutely not crying at the Be good" bit, it was a good viewing on which to close.

My dad died a few years ago. Ever since then, I have been more aware of these little lasts" that make up a life: the moments, recognised or otherwise, when you do something for the final time. With my dad, there were a bunch of them. Moving in with him after his cancer diagnosis, I was there for his last beer, his last cup of tea, his last visit with friends and his last night.