My brother, Eddie, and I are working on a landscape bid for a developer. Both of us have been going hard at it, adding up numbers and pushing to complete it.
Usually Fridays are our slow days to catch up with each other as brothers. Well, this past Friday, as we were working on the bid, we received The Phone Call — the one that stops your life in its tracks.
“They are taking Mom to the emergency room in Statesboro, Georgia,” my sister Pam told us, as our mother was being put in an ambulance at a local medical center. “She’s having a heart attack!”
I immediately flashed back to April 2015, when I received The Phone Call about my older daughter, Abbie, having been in an accident and being airlifted to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia. She died there a few hours later at age 21.
Now back to my mama. She is almost 90 years old and has lived a wonderful, blessed life. When I got The Phone Call, my mind quickly went to the worst potential outcomes. I knew I wasn’t alone in having those types of thoughts, and I wondered why we have the tendency to go there.
I think it’s because so often we take time, relationships and, especially, family members for granted. We believe we’ll see or call them tomorrow and catch up on the latest news. We might realize we forgot to tell them how much we love them and think we can see them soon. Maybe we’ve missed their phone call, text or pics because we’ve been busy with work.
And then, suddenly, there’s the possibility we won’t have that tomorrow together.
My parents were always good about staying in touch. Dad would call just to see how I was doing. Mom would ask if I received her card for my birthday. (She still sends my siblings and me birthday cards.)
Just to let you know, Mom is doing fine. I want to thank the doctors and staff at East Georgia Regional Medical Center for their skills and personal touch in treating her as if she were the most important patient there. And I appreciate all her friends who reached out to find out how she was and what they could do for her.
I suggest we turn the tables on The Phone Call and resolve to text, call or go see the special people in our lives and tell them how much we love them or value their friendship. And let’s all do it today, because there might not be a tomorrow.
Live inspired,
Jimmy
Mike Thorne says
You can always recover money what you can never recover is time…. I am so thankful that your mom is ok. Both her and your dad were very good to me and my kids. Praise God that you and yor brother and sister and all of your family have been given more time to spend with an amazing beautiful kind lady….
Dan Rogers says
Glad she’s ok Jimmy!!!
Renee’ Grotheer says
Jimmy,
Keith and I are so glad your Mom is doing well. We read your post and appreciate your honesty and transparency. You are one of the people that have influenced our spiritual growth. Blessings to you and your family.
Keith and Renee’ Grotheer