Getting Through a Health Scare

Have you ever had a severe illness or injury where you were concerned you might be in trouble with your health?

My Dad had this happen the last couple of days.

He's had a heart attack before, about 6 years ago, and needed stints put in his heart. Now, many people tell me that if it's the heart that is one of the better medical things to deal with these days, with the fact that there are so many procedures to get around blocked arteries and all of those things.

It still affects you, though. I mean, I love my Dad. If something were to happen to him, I'd be very upset. I just know it. He is a spiritual guide. He is wise. He is one of my best friends. When I once was faced with a situation where I thought my Dad would disown me (yeah, I'd really done it this time!) my Dad looked at me, teary-eyed, and said, "it would take more than that to take you away from me," and then hugged me with this huge bear hug. I realized, right then, exactly how much my Dad truly loves me.

If you've lost a family member, you may know what it's like to wish you could say something to them... to go back. Well, what if we lived each day SAYING those things. Okay, maybe not EVERY day, but why not say it often?

One of my new friends this year, Ken, recently started the website http://www.aletteroflove.com/, for the purpose of helping people show more love while they are ALIVE and with us. It is important to show how much we care on occasions outside of the holidays and birthdays.

In my family, we all pretty much have developed a habit of saying "I love you" at the end of phone calls. What some might call "sappy" I have come to realize is for real.

Although everyone in my family was concerned about this latest scare, after running tests, it appears that although his blood pressure was low, that indeed it is a torn chest muscle, and not the heart. WHEW! So, I have good news today.

What did I do during all of this? I went to the hospital, and talked with Dad for a while. I check back on him twice, and talked to the Doctor about releasing him from the hospital. I waited until Mom showed up to take him home. I did as much work as I could from there, in the cafeteria. I rescheduled my radio shows to tomorrow. It just takes energy to deal with hospitals, you know? And, radio shows take time. So, I made a decision and pushed the shows out by a day. Would you do the same thing or would you have gone on with your normal show? If you'd been dealt with a scare, don't wait for the person you love to be gone to spend time with them, tell them you love them, and show them the ways you care for them. Make the effort now. Make the effort today. Please trust me when I share that you will not regret it one iota.

Love is summed up on this day for me by being dutiful. By giving, rather than taking, by being there when it mattered, even though it may have only been a scare - or even a little thing. It is, after all, the small things that often get remembered. I think my brother or sister would have done the same, had they been closer. I once asked my sister how I can grow back closer to my nephew. She said something really wise to me that day, "Well, Scott, it's all about time. Kids judge how much you love them by the time you spend with them." How true.

Is it really any different for adults?

We need to spend time with the people we love. Writing a letter, sending an email, going fishing together, going shopping together like the trips my Mom has initiated the day after Thanksgiving, spending meals together, praying together... all of these moments are the opportunities that we can always look back upon and cherish as the memories of the good times in life, when life mattered most.

This article is by Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow (http://www.aspirenow.com/). He offers an audio program and e-book on "The Keys To Discovering Your Purpose" and also has authored "31 Success Secrets of Millionaire Superstars" e-book, and other coaching services available through AspireNow. He also offers masterful ways of building collaboration in enterprise environments through ARRiiVE Business Solutions (http://www.arriive.com/).