The 5 lessons I Learned From A Dying Man

“The Trouble is … you think you have time.” – Budda

As I sit down today to write this weeks post I am overwhelmed with thoughts of this past weekend.

My boyfriends Dad aka “TD” is dying.  There is no way to sugar coat it.   He has Stage 4 Melanoma and will likely not make it to Christmas.

We spent the day yesterday with his family … as you can imagine he (and everyone else that loves his Dad) want to spend as much time with him as possible.

It was such a great day.

I found myself really sitting back, taking it all in and watching his family soak in all of these precious memories.   There was lots of good food, delicious wine, great laughs, family stories and most of all … so much love.

They also spoke about the “Cancer” … and it was uncovered that his TD’s Melanoma is not genetic but strictly environmental.  TD had suffered a few sun burns in his youth, like we all have, however, he was religious about his sunscreen and doctor visits as he got older. He was a healthy man, eating well and working out most of his life.  And now, here he is … at 76 … dying of skin cancer.

It got me thinking … about a couple things and I thought I would share them with you:

1. Our Story is Written – We cannot control “God’s” plan.  The “Higher Powers” plan.  “Whoever you believe in’s” plan.  All we can do is live our life and hope that the odds be in our favor.  I am reminded me that all we have is RIGHT NOW and guess what … that’s all that matters.
2. Time is so precious – Live with no regrets … “I should have spent more time”, “I should have been around more”, “We should have taken that family vacation” … “We should of this and we should of that.”  Doesn’t this sound familiar?  So guess what … we HAVE the time … right now … to be with our friends, our family, those we love.  So make the MAKE THE TIME to do things and be with those you love!!!  No more excuses.  One day you will lose your youth.  Your energy.  And ultimately your life.  So live it while you have it.
3. Having Fun – It was great to see them all having fun.  They made sure he always had a full glass of wine. They are getting excited for their upcoming trip to Boston and how cool it is that the Hawks will be playing Boston in the Stanley Cup at the same time (Go Hawks!). They started planning a night out in the city to go eat Greek food (their favorite) and spending the night in a fancy hotel downtown.  One thing about this family is that they love to have fun.  Always make the time to celebrate and do fun things!
4. Live a life that is full of stories – One thing I love is listening to a good story.  And “TD”  is full of them.  It reminds me how important it is to live a life that creates and makes stories.
5. How important family is – When it all comes down to it … it’s your family (and closest friends) that are there for you. They take care of you.  Carry you. Help you.  Feed you.  Love you.  Make sure your taking care of them.

What lessons have you learned, in your life, that make you more grateful for each day you are alive?