Growing up and into my 20 and 30's I thught I was invincible and would live to a ripe old age. I was also pretty much a scrooge with my money - something I inherited from Dad. My brother once made a comment about Dad being tighter than a bark on a tree when it came to money. Yup! That was me alright. I didn't take vacations and would drive my vehicles long past their due date. Most of what I earned went into investments and my retirement fund. The goal was to be able to have a happy retirement.
Then comes the year 2000. My father had been retired for a few years and both mother and Dad were starting to enjoy the retired life. He was in excellent heath and felt he had many good years ahead of him. Out of the blue Cancer shows up in March and he's dead in 6 months. It's like being hit by the freight train you never saw coming.
I have to admit that his death scared the hell out of me. The invincibility I had always felt went out the window. I guess in some ways it was a life changing moment for me. We don't live forever and if you're not enjoying life to it's fullest you'd better get started. Most of all don't take life, friends and most of all family for granted. That was the message that kept going through my head after the funeral.
My life today is totaly different than what it was back then and that scrooge in me is pretty much gone. I would like to think that someday when i'm on my death bed that i'll be able to say that I lived life to it's fullest and have no regrets.
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