Spreading Joy

Making a Difference One Person At a Time One Day At a Time

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Warm Welcome
    • Spreading Joy Daily
    • Work with Me
    • Quick Links
  • Spreading Joy
    • JOY for the Journey
    • 30 Days of Spreading Joy
    • Videos
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Our Passion
  • Resources
    • Where We Link UP
    • Books
    • Christian Resources
    • Singing and Such
    • The Bible in 90 Days
    • Freebies
  • Christian Social Media Kits

February 20, 2011 by Spreading Joy

Six Months

[Translate]

July 11, 2003 One of the Last Pictures of Me with my Dad

I didn’t know it at the time but on February 20th, 2003 (or so) – I would hear news that would forever change my life. It was an honor actually, but when I was hearing it, I felt it was anything but an honor.

I was with my Dad at the hospital when the cardiologist came in to see him that morning. I knew my time with my Dad was limited, but what I was about to hear pierced through my heart like a dagger.

“John, if there is anything you want to do, do it now.” I looked at the doctor and simply uttered “excuse me?”

The doctor went on to explain that my Dad’s heart was only functioning at 13% or so and that it would not last more than 6 months at the very most. He told my Dad to do what he wanted to do, have what he wanted to have and take this time to get things in order. My body was numb, my heart was in shock.  I remember wanting to cry out that 35 years is not enough time to spend with him. I had leaned up against the wall, to steady myself and the doctor asked me to step outside. He informed me that with my Dad’s diabetes, that the sore on his foot would not heal and would contribute to his death as well – painfully so. He assured me that when the time come, he would call hospice in and make “it” as painless as possible. My heart agonized over the fact that I would not be able to stop this, that I would not be able to stop the pain and I would have to spend each and every moment with him that I could.

The doctor asked me if I was OK, and I simply nodded. We went back inside the room and he informed us that he’d be in there another day. The doctor left, I sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what was running through my Dad’s heart. As I sat there, numb, my Dad spoke…asking me “Well, Daughter…..what do you think?”  I immediately looked at him, eyeball to eyeball.  Here I was wondering about him…and HE was wondering about me.  Unbelievable.  I kept looking at him and said “I think I’m going to miss you soooooo much.” I sat quietly on the bed with him for a little bit.  Gently crying because I didn’t want to upset him to much, but there was no way I could hold in the tears.

Again, at the time, I didn’t consider being with him to receive that kind of news an honor, but now I know beyond doubt that it was a priceless gift that I would not trade for the world.

Not everyone gets a six month warning to get their affairs straight, do what they want to do, see whom they want to see and so on. But he almost did. I had the difficult task to start making the calls. To tell my sister and brothers and step mom what I had just found out. I wanted anyone that wanted to see him, hug him and tell him just how special he was to have the chance to do so and time was of the essence.

As Dad got weaker, I moved in to help take care of him. I organized my work schedule to where I would work in the late afternoons or at night and help Angie take care of him during the day. I slept when he did and enjoyed many midnight egg sandwiches with him. It never bothered me that he could only eat a bite of the sandwich.

You may wonder why I’m sharing this with you. My Dad didn’t get the full six months. He died on July 20th, 2003. We made sure that he laughed every chance he could and sometimes he simply laughed because he caught me and Angie “discussing things” between “ourselves” and we had NO clue he was awake.  We made sure that anyone that wanted to see him had the chance and we all had time with him to tell him just how much he meant to us. I asked several times if there was anything he wanted and no matter what it was, I’d make sure he had it. Even though he was at the point nothing much would stay down when it came to food.

If you found out that you only had six months, what would you do? Who would you see? What calls would you make?

My next question is WHY would you wait until you only have six months? Start doing what you want to do. You have life dreams! Start on them. No matter how slowly you think you may be accomplishing them, start on them NOW. One of my dreams is to visit all 50 states. When we look at vacations, we look at a state we have not been to. Make the list and start chipping away at it. One of my dreams is to publish a book.  In all of the spare time that I do not have, I’m slooooooowly chipping away at it.  Work on those dreams NOW.

Schedule a visit with those that you have not seen and make those calls. We live in a period where it’s easier now than ever to keep up with people we adore. Send the email, send the ecard or send the paper card. Tell those that are special to you just how special they are. Don’t wait until you find out that you don’t have much time left.

Do it now.

Six months is not long. Before we know it Christmas will be here again and it’s only February.

Work towards your dreams
Plan the visit
Make the call
Give the hugs freely

Say I love you.  Say it again.  Say it once more.

Do it now, don’t wait.

Tell me, what are some of your dreams you are working on.

Did you make the phone call, plan the visit or give the extra hugs?  I hope so, I truly do!

{{{{HUGS}}}} yall

© 2011, Spreading Joy. All rights reserved.

    Related Posts:

  • I Have Learned

    This year has been a roller coaster of emotions. I’ve been thinking lately ..

  • Tragedy turned to Triumph

      You work hard to make ends meet. You have little children that depend ..

  • Voice of Truth

    Voices are everywhere, bombarding us about everything. Look this way, dress that way... Be ..

  • Giants

      Guys are huge! Huge!  Especially if you are a little girl, you ..

  • Special Invitation

    When we put our little bit together, it grows into something huge ..

  • Helping Others Through Grief

    Father’s Day is such a difficult time for me…even still. My Dad died ..

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. 1

    Dan says

    February 20, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    Wow Marie! That made me tear up, and smile!
    You wrote so eloquently, and make very good points.
    Whatever it is…do it NOW!

    Thank You!

    Reply
  2. 2

    Sharri says

    February 20, 2011 at 8:58 pm

    I was touched by this. You are always sharing bits of your life.. thank you for that.

    Reply
  3. 3

    Tina V says

    February 22, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    WOW
    I cried and laughed at the same time
    I remembered spending the last 2 weeks of my granny’s life in the hosp and hospice…I couldn’t get enough of her
    I definitely needed that reminder to love on those around me (and those far away too) all too soon they are gone from us
    Thankyou

    Reply
  4. 4

    Marie says

    February 22, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    @Dan – With how my mind is always in overdrive – if someone pops into my head, I pray for them and then try and remember to contact them somehow/someway. card, text, call – something. I figure if they are gonna be placed on my heart, i need to respond. we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

    @sharri – i love sharing my family with you guys, 1 – so you’ll know i’m just a normal gal that is smack square in the middle of the FUN in dysfunctional and i love it…and also – so that you’ll know that even though I stress, scream, shout and say a bazillion times – joy and happiness are NOT the same, you’ll know that i’ve been there, done that and even through the pain, tears, doubts and fears that the joy is real…and is available for all. many think that i choose to live looking through rose colored glasses and unfortunately i know pain too well.

    @Tina thank you for that…you should have seen me and angie snickering after we were “caught” by our dad – and we still – all these years later laugh about how he caught us doing that. Its such a sweet memory.

    we do have so many people around us and in our online world that we care about…. just remember to take time to let them know how special they are.

    {{HUGS}} yall – thanks for taking the time to chat with me here!! I appreciate it sooo much!

    @spreadingJOY

    Reply
  5. 5

    Veronica Schultz says

    February 22, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    I was so blessed by your story. As I read it, I couldn’t help the heartache I felt for the part of my family that has decided to close all doors on communication with me and my family. It has however, made me realize the preciousness of those I do have and what a treasure I am blessed with.

    Thanks for sharing such a personal part of your life Marie. God bless you dear one.

    Reply
    • 6

      Marie says

      February 22, 2011 at 10:48 pm

      Thank you – I, unfortunately know this pain as well. Not a pleasant feeling as we tried to open the door back up. AND what is worse, it was a year or so after my father died…pain on top of pain. All you can do is try and be available.

      keep looking for the good, keep encouraging and motivating others. YOU are pretty awesome!

      {{HUGS}}
      @spreadingJOY

      Reply
  6. 7

    Tzpora says

    June 16, 2012 at 9:14 am

    Ditto. This is all too painfully true. God bless you for turning your sorrow into joy.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Our Mission: Empower and serve everyday ordinary people

Our Vision: Transforming communities and inspiring individuals through acts of joy.

Give a Tax Deductible Gift today

Thank you for your donation! Spreading Joy doesn't have any employees and all expenses are paid for by the founder. This enables us to take 100% of the donation you make and help meet the needs of others. Thank you for Spreading Joy with us!

Hang out With Us

We Love Mail!

You can send in your donation or Cards for Veterans or send us a letter of your Spreading Joy Experience to PO Box 1771 Denver NC 28037

Voice Over

Get More Joy for your Journey

Free tips, encouragement and ideas!

Thank you!

We look forward to Spreading Joy with Y O U!

Are you Spreading Joy Daily?

Are you Spreading Joy Daily?

Get your Copy Today

Recent Articles of Encouragement

  • Calming Beach SLEEP STORY for DEEP SLEEP and Relaxation | Sleep With Ocean Waves in Background
  • AY9581 Life In and Out
  • Jesus Said
  • Treasure Kingdom Review
  • In Preparation for the Process
  • Eve, Where Are You?: Confronting Toxic Practices Against the Advancement of Women
  • Research-Backed Mindfulness & Wellness Serene App
  • Letting Go
  • Don’t Quit
  • Exploring Wisdom from Proverbs

Work With Me

Work With Me

Give a gift of Coffee! Or Treat Yourself!

Bean Box Coffee Gift Guide

Happy Mail for the Kids

50 Ways to Make a Difference

Make a Difference

Regardless of the resources you feel you don't have, you CAN make a difference! We will show you how!

Affiliate Disclosure

This Site may contain Affiliate links. At no additional cost to you we could receive a small percentage of any purchases you make. This will help us as we are Spreading Joy Daily and should flood your heart with JOY as you purchase something you want, knowing it gives back to an organization who cares.

Blog Archives

Looking for Something Specific?

Made in His Image

Priceless Gift of You

Write Back Soon

Let the Journey Begin – Max Lucado

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2022 · Design byEkko Web Solutions · WordPress · Log in

Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design

English English Afrikaans Afrikaans العربية العربية Беларуская Беларуская български български català català česky česky Cymraeg Cymraeg dansk dansk Deutsch Deutsch ελληνική ελληνική español español eesti eesti فارسی فارسی suomi suomi français français Gaeilge Gaeilge galego galego עברית עברית हिन्दी हिन्दी hrvatski hrvatski magyar magyar bahasa Indonesia bahasa Indonesia íslenska íslenska italiano italiano 日本語 日本語 한국어 한국어 lietuvių lietuvių latviešu latviešu македонски македонски bahasa Melayu bahasa Melayu Malti Malti Nederlands Nederlands norsk norsk polski polski português português română română русский русский slovenčina slovenčina slovenščina slovenščina shqipe shqipe српски српски svenska svenska Kiswahili Kiswahili ภาษาไทย ภาษาไทย Filipino Filipino Türkçe Türkçe українська українська tiếng Việt tiếng Việt ייִדיש ייִדיש 中文 (简体) 中文 (简体) 中文 (繁體) 中文 (繁體) powered byGoogle