January 11, 2005

For many years, I played the role of man, husband and father in accordance with what I thought I was supposed to do. Many of us act out our lives this way without really knowing ourselves and what we think.

With me, it was divorce and losing my home, my wife and daughters, my dogs, my "things" that brought me down to think what was really important in my life. I wasn't "things". It wasn't position or power. It wasn't money. I spent time in deep reflection finding out what wasn't important. After you've lost all that seemed important to you, you have to really think about what you really miss.

As the years go by, all the "things" you accumulated, all the money you piled up, all the great accomplishments you had don't really count for much. They were transient and lose their value quickly. It's the memories you carry and the people you have touched that really matter. You need to live each day to its fullest and bring joy and comfort to those around you. You give yourself to life and you get memories and love.

I lost a lot in order to find this out, but it changed my life. I stopped playing a role and became me.