Grief imparts many lessons.

For George Clooney, his final moments with his late sister Adelia “Ada” Zeidler in December were an important reminder that life is short. 

“My sister, who I was very close to, got cancer last year, and she died very quickly,” the 65-year-old shared while receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the Venice Film Festival, as seen in video shared to social media. “I was with her when she died, and there was this feeling being with her, holding her hand when she died, understanding how brief all of this is. It was minutes ago that she and I were little kids together. Minutes ago, we were holding hands as little kids.”

And because time with loved ones can be so limited, the Ocean’s Eleven actor encouraged those in attendance to make the most of every moment.

“Time goes fast, all of this, and so we have to find nothing but joy,” he continued. “Find joy in the things that make them miserable. You have to find joy. You have to seek joy out, and you have to demand it, and you have to make sure that you demand it of yourself. That’s it.”