Memories or Regrets

A friend of mine sent me some old pictures of my Dad and I've enjoyed looking through them. (Thanks Stan!) Dad would have been 82 this month. Here are a couple of my favorites....

Mr. Joe Cool .... he always was the one with the camera!

And the picture with he and I on the couch makes me laugh..... It's like he's thinking.... "Did I really hear you say what you just said...."

He passed away August 2008. Seems like the more time goes by, the more I miss him.

We had a pretty close relationship while I was growing up. Then after I went away to college, going home was never something I really wanted to do. I was all caught up in my "stuff" and my "issues".

Now at soon to be 52, I regret not ever really "being there" the few times a year we were together. And I miss those "heart to heart" talks we used to have riding bikes to the park.

Life is really too short to let stuff and issues cloud your thinking and hijack your heart. Because once your loved ones are gone, all you'll have left is memories or regrets. And which one that ends up being is your choice right now in THIS moment.

Here's to continuing the Journey.... loving, letting go...... building memories or regrets..... always at choice in the present moment.

-Becky

P.S. In honor of my Dad, please watch the video tribute to him - the Funeral Home put together the video of pictures my sister, Mom and I picked out. The music is a song I wrote for him the night we 'got the call' from the nursing home. It ended up being my 'good-bye' to him.

Also, please check out the piano CD I recorded for him.... His Soul Song, "Stillness" comes with it as a free bonus. You can hear samples there too. (This CD makes a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift!)

AND - most important - if your mom or dad, sister or brother are still alive, go call them right now! If not, go call somebody that's important to you and tell them so.... Build memories.... not regrets.

In Memory of My Dad

My Dad passed away August 26, 2008 after an extended illness. Please help me celebrate his life by watching this video. His Soul Music is playing in the background. I wrote this for him the night before he died - turned out to be my 'good-bye' to him, as he passed on before I arrived the next day.

Many thanks to the producers of the video, Memories by Design (Spokanne, WA) and to Music Funeral Home (Waycross, GA) for providing this video for us. The beginning and ending slides (and the music, of course) were my additions.



More about my Dad...

In my growing up years, we shared a lot of music together, bike rides, and long talks... When I was practicing piano sometimes, he'd come in with his guitar and his harmonica and we'd play favorite hymns together. I remember bike rides down to the pier or to a neighborhood park. When we went to the park we'd always stop at the quick stop and get an icee. All these events always included long philosophical talks about life, the universe, and everything....

After I left for college the talks seemed to end. I was never home really long enough to engage in "quality time". Funny though, with his passing, I feel closer to him now than ever before. Going through all the pictures to pick out "just the right ones" for this video had a lot go do with that - as well as writing the music.

Here's some of the things he taught me:

• You can do anything you put your mind to.
• Be honest no matter what.
• If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize immediately.
• Allow people to be who they are, especially family.
• Don't give up.
• Lighten up!
• Enjoy life.
• Follow your passion.
• Love deeply with all your heart.

Please feel free to add a comment and share memories of your Dad. My Dad's passing and the closeness I feel to him just makes me realize more that yes, we ARE all connected and that we are never really separated from those we love.

Here's to continuing the Journey... sharing memories... celebrating life...

-Becky