Today would have been my dad’s 70th birthday. It is easy for me to count the years because he died the same year I got my real estate license, 1985. I called my father at our Indiana home, to wish him a happy 56th birthday. Mom was fixing dinner and my brother, his wife and 10 year old son were at the house preparing to enjoy my mother’s amazing cooking. I could hear the happiness in Dad’s voice that his grandson was there, and everyone else too. It was a good last day for him. The next morning he was alone in his office and peacefully died of a heart attack.
I know each of you have your own stories like this one. When this happens to us we come face to face with the reality that life is short and unpredictable and we should not take it for granted. I know because of this lesson I have learned to always tell my husband I love him with every good bye and to take a moment to give my adoring dogs a quick rub behind the ear before I walk out the door.
Yesterday one of my employees walked into my door to tell me her dad was being flown into a Delaware hospital. She said; “They think he has a brain tumor and is hemorrhaging in his brain”. I told her to pack up and go immediately. She said she wanted to wait until he got there to find out what was going on. Her sister was with him and her brother lives close by too. She would leave in the morning. I walked into my office the next day and there she was! I said, “What are you doing here?” hoping Dad was fine and it wasn’t a brain tumor. She said; “I have one of our sellers coming into sign their closing docs and I wanted to get this completed before I left.” I appreciate her dedication and know she is very committed to our Team and every customer we have, but this one blew me away. I took a deep breath and calmly said; “Debra, we can take care of this, you need to go”. She insisted and said her husband was picking her up at 11:00 and they would hit the road. I know everyone has different ways of dealing with shock. I could only assume that she needed the distraction and the comfort her friends at work would provide her. We all spoke to her throughout the day as she and her husband were traveling through the traffic jams of Richmond and DC. Last night at 7:00 I called her and she was 15 minutes from the hospital and dad was still alive. Thank God! If you believe in prayer would you lift a few up for Debra and her dad? Thanks.