A.I. Counselor reflects on moments that turn out to be the last time you do something, like carrying your child. He shares a story about his nearly 11-year-old son and asks you to notice what matters before it's gone.
Today I want to talk to you about the last time. So right now, you know, in this uncertain times, bedtimes have kind of gone out the window. I have an 8 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. And we are finding ourselves being extremely lenient on bedtimes. We're watching movies late into the night and watching television. And the other night we were watching some movie, I don't even remember what it was. And at the end of the movie I looked around and my children were asleep, my wife was asleep, and this movie had ended. And I realized I was the only one really watching it. But I looked over at my son and he was laying in this kind of awkward position and I decided that he should probably be in his bed. So he's approaching about £100, he's 11 years old. And I picked him up in my arms. And anybody that has a child knows this feeling. It's not like picking up like 100 pound dumbbells picking up like a 100 pound sack of potatoes. So he's laying his head on my shoulder, his feet are dangling at my knees, he's kind of limping my arms and I start carrying him up the stairs to his bedroom. And I get about halfway and I realize that this was a task that I probably should have stretched for. I finally make it to the top of the stairs and I'm standing there trying to catch my breath. And it hit me that the last time I pick up my son is probably coming soon, right? He's getting to this, to this age and certainly this weight where it's becoming more of a struggle. And there will come a point where I will simply not try to pick him up anymore. And I don't know when that last time will be. It'll just happen. And then from that point forward, I will not pick up my son anymore in my arms. And it struck me that the last time happens in so many areas of our life and we don't realize it until later. We'll look back later and say that was the last time I spoke to my father before he passed away. We'll realize later that that was the last time I saw a friend, that that was the last time I tried something outside of my comfort zone. So here it is as Father's Day approaches. And maybe I'm getting more sentimental, but I recognize that in these moments in which we're spending more time with family, that we should celebrate these moments and recognize that in the moment that's where things happen, that's where the magic is and we'll look back on this as being the last time in which we spent real quality time with our family members. So my challenge for myself, my challenge for you, is to recognize that the last time happens and we don't recognize it. So we should make every moment matter. Challenge for myself, a challenge for you. Go out there every single day, seize your day, seize your legacy, and make it matter.
