You Only Get One Chance

Since I've worked at NFI, people have often asked "What stands out most about your father?"

For me, it was my dad's unswerving commitment to just "being there," quite literally. In both middle school and high school, my dad was present at every single one of my sporting events - four games a week for almost the entire school year. And I was a cheerleader.

When I was at home visiting my dad this past weekend, I told him just how much his presence meant to me. His response? "Well, you only get one chance."

His simple wisdom struck me to the core, for many reasons. I think we often forget that every day is a new chance and each day is different - don't pass up opportunities to spend time with your family and make each day count.

But my dad's words also resonated because his health has quickly deteriorated this year. My dad is a diabetic, and for whatever reason, he decided to stop taking his medicine. It's been scary watching him deal with complications that easily could have been prevented.

Dads (and moms!), you only get one chance. Not just to watch your daughter cheer for every high school sports team in existence, but to see your grandkid sand develop lasting relationships with your children as they mature.

I'm hoping and praying that my dad will fully recover, but in the meantime, his story is a good reminder for all of us: you only get one chance. Don't let all the little moments pass you by - and take good care of yourself so that you're around for all the little (and big) moments to come.