PLEASE READ: I don’t believe in miracles. I don’t even believe in coincidences. I think everything happens for a reason and sometimes those reasons don’t appear but we are challenged to embrace them nonetheless. What happened over my recent trip home to New York is nothing short of magical. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share it, but I feel compelled to in the hopes it will possibly touch the life of someone who’s missing a loved one right now.
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I will never forget my father’s final words as I held his soft hand and kneeled by his hospital bed. He asked me to come closer in a faint voice and whispered:
“Josh I love you son, and there is nothing you can’t achieve in this world”
I walked away feeling proud unbeknownst to me he would lose his battle to terminal cancer a few hours later.
It wasn’t until a recent trip home to New York and a random act of rummaging through a box of my dad’s stuff that I found a letter addressed to me.
Yes me.
I asked my mother about it and she had no idea. We opened it together with a heavy heart and an acute case of curiosity.
I don’t know when he wrote it but we could only suspect it was shortly after his cancer prognosis became terminal.
It wasn’t a long note and I believe that was due to his weakening ability to use his body.
My mother read the note out loud to me as I was too emotional.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Son,
I am so proud of the man you’ve become and I hope that you will never have to read this note. If you are reading this note, it’s because I have passed on but I don’t want you to worry. I will always be with you but in the meantime I want you to remember the following:
- Never suppress how you feel. Especially towards the ones you love.
- Never work so hard you forget why you working, whom you are working for and when to stop.
- Never allow yourself to suffer, especially in silence. Life is short, spend it being happy.
- Never neglect your health. Take care of yourself, you are your highest priority.
- Never forget who you are and your true calling.
HE WENT ON TO SAY:
You have a special gift so don’t waste it on the wrong people. Find those with a similar heart and create your life with them. Make yourself happy and leave your mark on this world.
I love you, and will always be in your heart so you never have to look far.
Take care of your brother and look after your mom.
Love Dad. xo
Here’s what I hope you take away from reading this:
- In the end, life is truly short so tell the ones you love, how you feel.
- Hug the ones you can, while you can.
- Help the ones who need it, while they can still appreciate it.
- Stop putting important things on hold for tomorrow, when you do them today.
- Never stop believing in yourself or what’s possible.
- And most importantly, live your life and leave your mark on the world.
The Floor Is Yours:
What life mantra do you live by?