Little Miss Thing, age 7: “Who is that guy?”
Me: “What guy?”
LMT: “The guy in this picture with Grandma.”
Me: “That’s me, honey.”
LMT: “I don’t think so.”
Me: “It’s me, just a really long time ago.”
LMT: “Like, thirty five hundred years ago?”
Me: …
Me: “Pretty much.”
Friends;
Live your life. Take those risks. Do the thing. Fail. Fail again. Learn.
Tell your people how you feel. Leave no doubts.
Stretch. Leave your comfort zone.
Earn the reputation that you want. Be the author of your story.
Do all those great things for others, but mostly do them for yourself.
Read. My. Lips. You have less time than you think.
Do it. Do it now.
(front door opens)
Little Miss Thing, age 7: “Dad, I found something walking home from the bus today.”
Me: “Yes, what’s that dear?”
LMT: “I found this.” (shoves leaf-wrapped and very dead mouse within inches of my face)
Me: “Oh my…”
LMT: “It was on the front porch. Last week we found a dead bird.”
Me: “Yeah, things die. We only live for a while, and animals live even shorter lives.”
LMT: (heavy sigh)
LMT: “We buried the bird in the yard, so I’m going to go bury the mouse, too.”
Me: “OK. If that’s what you want.”
LMT: “I think that’s what she would want.”
LMT: (walks out somberly)
Me: (to myself) “It doesn’t get any easier, kiddo.”
Very Vocal Viking 