See you later!

Labor Day will never be the same for me.  Labor Day 2010 was supposed to be a day of rest and relaxation, it was supposed to be the final day of my vacation.  Instead it was the day that my mother lost her husband of 55 years and I lost the man who was always there for me, my dad.

Tragically, dad was killed in a car accident leaving my house.  So in his honor, here are some random thoughts of what we can learn of dad's passing.

We all know that life is a gift.  Sometimes, we start taking gifts for granted.  We allow things to get in the way of our life.  Instead of treating life as a gift, we say, I will be happy, "when."  When I get married, when we have kids, when I get this job, that job, when the kids are out of the house, when I retire, etc.  Live life to the fullest every day, protect the gift by using your life to it's fullest.

Say what needs to be said.  My sisters and I had a choice, the doctors could tell mom about dad or we could.  There was no indecision, we knew that we had to do it.  In the future, when I have to have a tough conversation, I will always think about this conversation.  If you need to have a conversation with someone, go have it today.

 Do your job.  Dad ran service stations, drilled wells, owned his own construction company, ran construction for a major development.  Later in life, he was a maintenance man.  He worked just as hard as a maintenance man as he did when he owned his own construction company.  He always said, you knew what you were getting paid when you took the job, do your best.  If you are employed, go do your job and be thankful.

Dad was a man.  He would give you the shirt off his back.  Advice, even if you didn't want to hear it.  And as a younger man, if you were a threat to his family, he would handle the situation.  If you are a leader, lead.  If you are a parent, be a parent.  As politically incorrect as it is today, if you are a man - be a man.

Never say Goodbye.  Dad hated goodbyes.  In fact, I never heard him say the word -- unless he was telling you not to say goodbye, instead he always said see you later.

So in honor of Raymond Howard (RH) Willoughby, I will see you later.  Go live life this week and have fun.

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