NEVER Forget Your Parents – Love Them Here In ND And In Heaven

One of the scariest things I remember is how I felt the very first time I heard someone say "Life's too short"

It truly is. You hear people say that a lot and you never give it that much thought until a loved one passes away.  My mom had a birthday today, she would have been 83 years old, she's been gone now for almost 12 years, and there is not a day that goes by that I don't dream of having another chance to be with her. To talk about anything, to go for a walk, to take all the millions of wasted moments I took for granted, and to have her here.

You can take away their physical body, but her soul and spirit still shines bright in my mind

My mom was the kind of person who would literally risk getting stung by a bee, scooping them out of the swimming pool by hand so they wouldn't drown. My mom ran 17 marathons. She saw me finish a race one day and asked me to be her coach, and before I knew it, she was off to run in her third New York Marathon. Her thirst for life was awesome, she climbed Mt. Whitney, she traveled to exotic places, she never gave up on a son who was wasting his life with alcohol. "I'm proud of you" she would say as I tried to stay sober for a full 24 hours. She sat by my side as I selfishly cried on a park bench one awful dark day. When she needed me the most, as her life slowly faded, I wasn't there. Excuses ruined our last Thanksgiving dinner, for the bottle won out, again. My sister sees signs that my mom still is with us, memories that will never fade.

Once again remind yourself that "Life's Too Short"

Whether your parents are still with you here in Bisman, or maybe across the country, take a second and reach out to them every day, the effort is worth it, trust me. Happy birthday, mom.