My childhood home was a “Partridge Family” home.

Every Friday night from 1970 to 1974, my four sisters and I were parked, pajamas-clad, in front of our furniture-sized television, watching the latest episode. We owned every album the show’s formidable marketing machine could churn out. “A Partridge Family Christmas” was on a constant loop from Thanksgiving through Christmas night. And as you’d expect in a family with four pre-teen girls, posters of David Cassidy were everywhere.

So Cassidy’s death of liver failure at the way-too-young age of 67 hit pretty close to home for me … though truth be told, I was probably saddened more for the loss of a piece of my youth than for the death of another human.

What hit me harder, though, were Cassidy’s final words: “So much wasted time.”

Talk about a gut-punch. On the surface, that’s heartbreaking — a former teen idol whose fame at his peak rivaled that of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, reduced to regret for what he didn’t do with the time he had.

In another light, though, that’s an incredibly powerful call to arms for us all.

We’ve got one shot at this thing, and the clock’s ticking.

How are you spending your time?

No question is more important.

Stop wasting it. Start investing it. In yourself. In those you know and love. In the world around you.

When the clock runs out, will your final thoughts be of regret … or gratitude?