My Dad - Part 3 (Opening Up)

  My dad passed away when he was 54, way to soon in my way of thinking.  I was 28 and very busy as a young dad.  In retrospect, I would have done a lot of things differently.  Granted, Dad was not the outgoing type and never in any one's face.  I suspect he may have had a lot of regrets and would have done a lot of things differently as we all do (reminds me of my August 11th post, Memories).  I sometimes wonder what kind of relationship my dad had with his dad.  Point is, if I had it to do over, I would have telephoned and visited him more often, even if I was in one of my moods or preoccupied with working.  There is so much more I would have wanted to know about him.  Life is way to short to carry grudges or prejudice, especially when it comes to family members.  I am sure that if Dad had a chance at a 'do over', he would have done things differently.  On second thought, he did have a chance, his first heart attack might have been a wake up call, but he didn't have much time to act on it before his next and fatal attack.
  So I am 61 and have outlived my dad by seven years.  As long as I have a bunch of stuff on my 'to do' list, I figure I will be around for awhile longer.  But who knows?  I say don't be shy about showing love to your kin.  I don't mean to sound negative, but treat them like you may not see them tomorrow.  Let them know, today, how much you appreciate what they have done for you, instead of wishing tomorrow ,when they are gone, you had told them. Who knows, you might be the one that is gone and the living will be the ones that wished you had opened up to them.  One of my big regrets is not telling my grandparents how much I appreciated their sacrifices for me.
  Not to belabor the point, don't let time slip by, because it happens at an alarmingly fast pace and before you know it, it is too late.