My dad is 93 years old. If he died tomorrow, which I pray doesn't happen, I'd consider it premature. Albeit, you raise a good point, the phrase I used wasn't so much related to Feinstein's age, but their timeline to get Newsom in the VP spot.
My dad died at 90 in 2012 and my mom at 93 in 2016. The more time that goes by, it seem the more I miss them.
Many years before they died, I knew, and understood that one day they would die. While with them I would like close my eyes, move ahead in time and imagine they were no longer alive, and think of how great it would be to see them again, and then I would open my eyes and there they would be. I know it sounds crazy, but I used to walk up to their door and think to myself how wonderful it would be if I could open this door and see my parents again. Then I would open the door and there they would be. I think this gave me a special appreciation for the time I had with them both. I tried to live with the idea that when they are dead, I will have no regrets, nothing that I wished I would have done while I had the time, but did not do.
Inevitably there will always be some things no matter how hard you try. But no really important things.
I will tell you one thing that I did that was very smart. About 15-20 years before either of them died, I sat down with a video camera and had my brother interview them about their lives from the first memories, then growing up in our small town, then meeting, getting married, and the early day together. it's about an hour long or more despite them both being very quite people. I think they understood it was important too.
I still have this video, and it is beyond wonderful to hear them laugh, and tell their story. And for future generations who never had a chance to meet these great people, it will be priceless.
Before it's too late, if you have not gotten you dad's life story on video, you should do that.
That's a wonderful story. I especially liked when you said you "use to walk up to their door and think to myself how wonderful it would be if I could open this door and see my parents again. Then I would open the door and there they would be."
That's a great way of keeping clarity on the importance of your relationship. I on the other hand, have to do that from afar, since dad lives in Florida. The video thing..... I had a child hood friend that specialized in doing that for others. He showed me some of his videos..... I knew his mom well growing up and he wanted to show me her last video when she had cancer. After seeing another video of a terminal cancer patient... and his reflections of life and what he wished would have been better, especially in knowing his daughters, I couldn't bear watching anymore. I had a picture in my mind of my friends wonderful mom and I didn't want to really see her afflicted with cancer.
My wife has pictures of her mom and dad, both deceased, in several rooms of the house. She has more occasions of expressing her sad feelings about missing her parents than I, especially her mom. Despite my mom died several years back, I have yet to display any pictures in any of the rooms. They are in a scrap book. Looking at them rekindles how much I miss her. And the 'should have', 'would have', 'could have' scenario seems to creep in. She was a wonderful person. Yet with me, my Lord knows what's best for me. He consistently tells me to be thankful for the present and plan for tomorrow. Don't think about next week, but today. Mom is gone. And avoid obsessions of living in the past. Never to look back, but forward..... To always look forward and prepare for my own ascension when that time comes. In the mean time, each morning I thank Him for another day.
Way back along time ago, animal feed came in sacks made of patterned material, and at one point my dad was describing how his mother made his shirts out of feed sacks. My brother asked if that was how Sacks 5th Avenue started. We all laughed for a good while.
Feinstein's death appears to be unexpected and premature. How can someone dying at 90 yrs old be premature. Just asking.
My dad is 93 years old. If he died tomorrow, which I pray doesn't happen, I'd consider it premature. Albeit, you raise a good point, the phrase I used wasn't so much related to Feinstein's age, but their timeline to get Newsom in the VP spot.
My dad died at 90 in 2012 and my mom at 93 in 2016. The more time that goes by, it seem the more I miss them.
Many years before they died, I knew, and understood that one day they would die. While with them I would like close my eyes, move ahead in time and imagine they were no longer alive, and think of how great it would be to see them again, and then I would open my eyes and there they would be. I know it sounds crazy, but I used to walk up to their door and think to myself how wonderful it would be if I could open this door and see my parents again. Then I would open the door and there they would be. I think this gave me a special appreciation for the time I had with them both. I tried to live with the idea that when they are dead, I will have no regrets, nothing that I wished I would have done while I had the time, but did not do.
Inevitably there will always be some things no matter how hard you try. But no really important things.
I will tell you one thing that I did that was very smart. About 15-20 years before either of them died, I sat down with a video camera and had my brother interview them about their lives from the first memories, then growing up in our small town, then meeting, getting married, and the early day together. it's about an hour long or more despite them both being very quite people. I think they understood it was important too.
I still have this video, and it is beyond wonderful to hear them laugh, and tell their story. And for future generations who never had a chance to meet these great people, it will be priceless.
Before it's too late, if you have not gotten you dad's life story on video, you should do that.
That's a wonderful story. I especially liked when you said you "use to walk up to their door and think to myself how wonderful it would be if I could open this door and see my parents again. Then I would open the door and there they would be."
That's a great way of keeping clarity on the importance of your relationship. I on the other hand, have to do that from afar, since dad lives in Florida. The video thing..... I had a child hood friend that specialized in doing that for others. He showed me some of his videos..... I knew his mom well growing up and he wanted to show me her last video when she had cancer. After seeing another video of a terminal cancer patient... and his reflections of life and what he wished would have been better, especially in knowing his daughters, I couldn't bear watching anymore. I had a picture in my mind of my friends wonderful mom and I didn't want to really see her afflicted with cancer.
My wife has pictures of her mom and dad, both deceased, in several rooms of the house. She has more occasions of expressing her sad feelings about missing her parents than I, especially her mom. Despite my mom died several years back, I have yet to display any pictures in any of the rooms. They are in a scrap book. Looking at them rekindles how much I miss her. And the 'should have', 'would have', 'could have' scenario seems to creep in. She was a wonderful person. Yet with me, my Lord knows what's best for me. He consistently tells me to be thankful for the present and plan for tomorrow. Don't think about next week, but today. Mom is gone. And avoid obsessions of living in the past. Never to look back, but forward..... To always look forward and prepare for my own ascension when that time comes. In the mean time, each morning I thank Him for another day.
Way back along time ago, animal feed came in sacks made of patterned material, and at one point my dad was describing how his mother made his shirts out of feed sacks. My brother asked if that was how Sacks 5th Avenue started. We all laughed for a good while.