Enjoying sailing a charter sailboat with friends.
My dad grew up very poor.
Eventually he started his own business innovating and growing it to success.
He loved working in his business. He had a machine shop that did manufacturing and repair work. He also invented and built machines. He worked on the machine shop floor. Talked to customers All the things he was good at and enjoyed.
He was involved in Rotary, church and played golf with buddies a couple of days a week.
As he grew older my brother joined the business. He increasingly took over more of the everyday management so my dad could slow down a little and focus on the things he enjoyed most.
Even in his 80’s my dad still went to the shop every day, attended Rotary and church weekly, and played golf with his buddies twice a week.
Then when he hit 90 he gave it all up. He said he’d earned the right to do nothing if he wanted.
And he had. Actually he’d earned the right to do nothing years before if he’d wanted to.
But from that moment on his life slid downhill dramatically. His health deteriorated, his attitude became sullen and his mind clouded.
He died a month shy of 93.
Now maybe he would have anyway. I don’t know.
But I do know that in his last three years he was miserable and bored.
So sure, he’d earned the right to do nothing. But it was the worst thing for him.
In contrast my mom stayed active in life literally until the day she had a massive stroke and died at 90. She was scheduled to have her weekly lunch with a close friend that afternoon.
She’d been shopping and had lunch with our daughter two days before. And she would see all her friends at church on Sunday.
I had lunch with her a few days before she passed. She was vibrant, joyful, enjoying life, loving friends and family.
She lived life to the fullest filled with love and enjoyment until her last moment.
That’s how I want to live my life as well.
Some people live life measured in fullness. Some people live life that’s only measured in years.
You get to choose.
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