The Jennifer Blogs

When I was growing up my mom would always try to tell me how it was when she was my age. She warned me against doing certain things, or encouraged me to try something else. But often when I was a teenager I would snap back at her, "you got to learn by making your mistakes. Let me make mine!" I never realized how much there was to be learned by someone who had "been there, done that."



Now that I'm older and I see what other people go through, I can take something from that and apply it to my own life. I guess that's what's called wisdom.



My father-in-law is dying. We got a call at 7:00 this morning, and Marso had to get on the first international flight he could so he could make it home, and hopefully say goodbye to his daddy.



About a week ago when Marso was on the phone with his dad, his dad said to him, "I made a lot of mistakes. I have a lot of regrets in life." What a sad, but profound statement. How many times have you heard that you should "live each day to its fullest," or as Tim McGraw so eloquently puts it, "live like you were dyin'."



The point isn't to go out there and have a party every night. But you should definitely chase your dreams. I believe that if there's something you've always wanted to do that you should do it. Stop wondering, "what if" and just go see for yourself first-hand! What's the worst that can happen? You realize that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be? Okay. So you tried, right? Go skydiving. Apply for college. Ask her out! Send in your resume! Don't leave things left unsaid. If you owe someone an apology, make it. Ask for forgiveness if you haven't yet done that. Make things right. Say "I love you." 



Marso's daddy retired early. He was 55 1/2 when he quit working. He's now in his 80s. So for the past 25+ years, he's been retired. To him, retirement meant going out for coffee every morning with the guys, going to the library in the afternoon, and hanging out with the guys again after lunch. Sundays he spent with his wife at the mall. Every week. Week in, week out. They couldn't take vacations and travel because on his retirement and social security they could barely make ends meet. They couldn't even run the air conditioning or the dryer. She had to hang her clothes out to dry. They had to keep the shades drawn and the windows open for a breeze. There was never any extra money left over. 

I think if Bobby had it to do over again, he'd have worked a little longer, saved more money and enjoyed what he *did* have. He'd have spent more time with his children. He'd have spent less time complaining about the things that really don't matter. He'd have said more kind words and less unkind ones.



Bobby was an only child and he always got his way. So when he got married, he expected his needs to be met. Period. And that's the way it was his whole life. Bobby was always right. Everyone else was wrong. He became unapproachable and hard to get along with. And it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago when Marso led his daddy to Christ over the phone that Marso told his daddy, "you are unapproachable." His daddy had asked, "why didn't you do this with me sooner?" He agreed that he had built up a wall that made him difficult to talk to. And he agreed that he would never have listened until this point in his life. I think if Bobby could live that part of his life over again, he would. He'd be more approachable. He'd be more open to other people's thoughts, suggestions, ideas, and opinions. Especially when they came - in love - from people who cared about him.



Maybe this will spark something in you. Maybe it's just another testimony of how you should "live each day to its fullest," but it's definitely a wake-up call for me, so if I say something to you that seems "out of the blue" or if I seem a little different, you'll know why. I don't want to waste one more minute.