I recently attended the funeral of a friend’s father, in which my friend began his public remembrances with these words…

“These are not tears of despair – because we are filled with hope. And these are not tears of hopelessness – because we have faith. The reason there are tears is simply because we will miss our Dad.”

My friend then listed some of the things that he and other family members would miss. That list included…

• Having a cup of coffee together
• Going fishing and hunting
• Playing golf
• Sitting on the porch talking
• Meals
• Phone calls
• Sharing stories
• Watching movies
• Visiting around a campfire

What do you notice about that list?

It’s about time spent together.

It’s about connecting.

It’s’ about being present to one another.

It’s not about money.

It’s not about status or power.

It’s not about awards and trophies.

The thing we miss when a person is gone is the person.

And the things we miss about that person are how we felt in their presence, experiences we shared together, and the moments that created memories.

Yet, these are often the things we take for granted.

Or we tell ourselves that we don’t have time for such things.

And these are the things that matter most – just ask my friend.

So…

• Call your parents
• Invite a friend for coffee
• Grab some porch time with a loved one
• Go golfing with your buddies
• Tell some stories
• Have some laughs
• Take time to visit with a neighbor

These are the things we’ll miss.

What are you waiting for?