Don't Take Those You Love For Granted By S.C. Wynne

Good morning!

This was a tumultuous week. My father went to the emergency room and next thing we knew he was scheduled for a pacemaker. He's 87 so surgery at that age is scary. I was a wreck and I'm only now feeling better. (Not that this is about me. I'm just sharing how scared I was.) He's doing fine and I'm so thankful I have a chance to spend more time with him and my mom. In fact I spent Friday evening with them, drinking wine and laughing and talking. It was wonderful.

But I will admit, after the first day in the hospital I went home and I cried. I felt like I was five years old and lost. I was so terrified of losing my dad. I literally can't conceive of a day when he won't be here. He isn't perfect and in fact he can be down right annoying sometimes! But he's my dad and he's always been there to protect me and support me no matter what. But for now, I still have him and I'm going to hold on tight to my mom and dad while I can.

It's amazing how we take those we love for granted. We always assume we have another day to make that call, or have that visit. But we never know when that won't be the case. I tend to be a slightly pessimistic person, and I always think when I say goodbye to anyone I love that it could be the last time I see them. I try not to think about that morbidly, but more as in embrace every second you have with those you love. Relish the touch of their warm skin and the light in their eyes. Hold tight to the sound of their laughter and the strength of their hugs.

What happened with my dad happens to people all the time, and the outcome isn't always as positive as ours was. We still have him here. He got to come home and we get to talk with him about his experience and share the ordeal with him. I'm thankful for that and mindful of how fortunate we were.

This scare was a good reminder that none of us are to be taken for granted. Spend time with the people you love. Enjoy them, don't simply put up with them. I'm going to be more diligent about taking that advice to heart myself. Perhaps you will also.

S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com