You sit down on your couch and turn on the TV, you see a movie like, Bruce Almighty, Three Days, etc., - that the moral of the story is “live life to the fullest” and “never take things for granted.” You read a romantic love story and the message is about the same. These movies, books, TV shows, or just stories in general have this message and it’s all cliché. Cliché enough that we can predict the whole story by just hearing the beginning part. But do we really understand what message they are trying to get across? They say “never take things for granted” but maybe we’re taking that whole message for granted. We need to understand the value and take those words piece-by-piece. Every little message life gives us has meaning.
Recently, my dad was admitted to the hospital for an emergency because he wasn’t feeling all too well. I was sitting in school updating my Facebook status on my phone. Then, my sister comments on it and says “Dads in the hospital.” At that instant, my mind starts to freak out, my heart starts to beat faster, and I had that major urge to scream questions. I reply asking “WHY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!” and I texted her too asking the same thing. She says he was driving and wasn’t feeling too well so he pulled over and called the ambulance.
I really couldn’t do anything but worry because I had to stay in school without being picked up. Although I really wanted to up and leave class. This was more important to me but the fact that I had no other information of where he is, how he’s doing, or how I would get to him; I stayed in school. For almost 3 hours I had to sit in my classes and allow my fear and worries to build up and take control of my mind. There was no point in me sitting there in class if I couldn’t concentrate. All I could think of my dad.
Memories started flowing through my mind, my heart started to miss him, my body started shaking, and then there came tears. First, with small droplets. Then, to a whole waterfall of them running down my cheek one after another. I don’t think I’ve ever felt something like that before. Knowing something really scary and doing nothing about it - having to stay put and just try to keep my mind preoccupied. Although, that was a major fail.
I thought to myself “Did I say Good Morning to my dad today?” “Did I even say Hello?” “Why didn’t I say I Love You?” If I knew that when I said bye to him it would be the last time I ever did, I would’ve made it the best bye he’s ever gotten or would I not even say bye because I would miss him way too much that way. I kept thinking that I was not a good child, that I gave him attitude when he didn’t even deserve. I haven’t been the best daughter to him and I was regretting that so much. I would never want to have that burden of not being the best daughter I could be. I want my dad to think of me as a nice person and not a sassy teenager. Oh, this day made me want to relive my life and watch what I say.
Then my phone rings during class and it’s my sister but I couldn’t answer. Then I waited impatiently with my foot constantly shaking, my mind drifting, and the resorting to biting my nails. Waiting, seeing time pass, and finally, the bell rings! I run to the bathroom and call my sister back and because of the unsteadiness of my fingers it was a little harder to dial. She answers and I ask, “Is he ok?!” before she even has a chance to say something. She hands the phone over to my dad and I hear is voice say perfectly fine, “Hello.” Never would I have thought that I’d be happy to hear that one word come from my father. Hearing his voice made my heart drop. All that built up fear all let loose and I could finally take that sigh of relief.
From this experience I realized that everyday is something special. That we should be saying, “oh, I’ll do it tomorrow.” Do it now because you never know when you’ll get the chance to do it. I know you’ve heard this one, “Everyday is a day you’ll never get back. Every second is a second you’ll never get back.” It’s true. You’ll never get this day again. Everyday is a new day and it should be treated with it’s full specialty. Value the people around you and the memories you could be making. I never knew if the day my dad got in the hospital would be the last day I saw him or would even get to talk to him. Thank God it wasn’t but maybe I just got lucky this time. They say when you go through a near death experience, it changes your life. Not only did it change my dad’s life but it changed my life. Now, I never want to take anything for granted. I don’t want to be that kind of person again. My name is Kelly and I am living life the best way.
