Live life to the fullest.

Let me start this thread off with saying: I am not looking for sympathy or a pity party. I do appreciate the well wishes I have received via private message and the public forum. If anything pray for the comfort of my mother.

The purpose of this post is to remind my scrapping brothers and sisters of the preciousness and shortness of life. You never know when your time is up.

I kind of told this story on one of Admiral Aluminum's threads and thought it would be best to start a new thread rather than high jack his thread.

I have (had) a typical family for the sixties and seventy's. Six kids , mother and father. My brothers Gail and Stan came home from Vietnam (Navy) when I was 8 years old. I was the baby of the family. My mother worried herself sick the whole time they were there.

Two months after they came home (1974ish???) from Vietnam Gail died of an aneurism while riding his motorcycle. Very difficult time for the family. I was just a kid.

Fast forward to 2007 my dad past away. I had no feelings and never shed a tear. Neither did my mother. Long story, not for this post. Six months later my brother Stan died of Amyloidosis, a rare disease that attacks all your organs. Something to do with proteins in your body. One of the members here knew Stan (ibscrappin) and let me say EVERYONE who met Stan loved him. he was very charismatic and his death was very hard on me. When He was in his forties and I was just out of high school we would chase chicks together. Another story. At this point my poor mother has buried two of her four sons.

Now it's 2015, and my third brother (Bruce) has died of brain cancer. (Third son my mother has buried). My sister ( Char) is at Mayo Clinic literally on her last breath. She has some rare lung disease. The doctors at Mayo are trying to figure out how they can cram enough oxygen into a plane or a van to get her to Fargo to say good bye to her mother. Char will be the 4th child my poor mother has had to say goodbye to.

Here's another life lesson: Bruce and Char have been on the outs with their mother for quite some time. Once they new their days were numbered they made amends with there mother. Funny how that works. Staring down death makes you think twice about your relationships with family.

So hear I sit typing on my iPad telling you fine folks of SMF how 4 of my 6 siblings have died. Just me and my oldest sister left. Kind of therapeutic for me I guess.

What I want to leave you with from this post is treat your family right and live everyday as if it was your last. I'm going to do more fishing and other things I enjoy and less work. Not to say you don't have to pay the bills, but take some time off for yourself. Back a few years ago when I was in my prime I made a hell of a lot of money and that money did not make me happy. Meeting and marrying my wife has meant much more to me than money.

I'm soon to be a grandpa from an unwed step-daughter. Neither I nor my wife was happy about the news of the pregnancy. However we are going to welcome this new life with open arms. Friends and family is where it's at.

Again, I'm not looking for a pity party or sympathy. Just want to remind members of SMF and lurkers that life is short. Don't take it for granted.

We need something like this every now and then to help us put life into perspective. Thanks. I'll be thinking of you.

Sorry to hear and my thoughts are with you and your family. Interesting you mentioned fishing as my brother and son went with me today. Only the third time I've been but I really enjoy spending time with them.

When you really think about it ....

There are all of the people that you know and love.

Someday .... they will leave you -or- you will leave them.

It's only for awhile, so appreciate what time you do have and make the most of it.

Pjost, Thank you for reminding us of the important things in life. Your story should touch many and have an impact on their life/perspective. Your mother must be one tough soul to endure her challenges. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. You have definitely help me put my priorities in perspective. Thank you and bless you.

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Just want to remind members of SMF and lurkers that life is short. Don't take it for granted.

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Amen, brother, amen.

pjost - Sorry about these "cruelties" of life, those type of events would make anyone reflect on past memories. The good times we had with our families in the past should be how we remember them when they are not with us anymore. Your post makes me think how I would deal with this if I was you. Honestly I have no clue how I would and only can hope you find the answers allowing you to do so. I can only offer what I have always believed, everything happens for a reason in life. The lessons of life are often cruel and seem without purpose. These unfortunate events in your life come as one of "life lessons" and I hope what you learn only leads to a better times for your family (especially your mom).

My mom (dad too) raised five all of us are a very close family. One brother lives next door, two brothers within three miles of me. Only my sister, who lives in South Dakota is at a distance. Even with her being away from the rest of us, me are one of my brothers visit her every year. She comes here often as well. My mom lives just a mile from me and just returned from South Dakota visiting my sister. We have been a very fortunate family and for the most part a great life. We have not had a death in the family since 1991. Life's "cruel" lessons have come our way! In 1979 a aunt and uncle (my dads sister) were both killed in a auto accident, they had four kids(ages 14 to 8). My mom was determined those kids knew they still had a family. Even though three of us had already left home and the youngest two would soon as well. She added to our family, a life lesson, family takes care of each other. From 1979 until 1992 it seemed like we had a family funeral every year. In 1988 my grandfather past away, he lived with our family since I was 10. He was the most decent person you could ever meet, He taught me more than my dad, my mom thought of him as her own father. A couple of days before his funeral in Arkansas, my dad and I were trying to make arrangements for the rest of the family (most of us had moved away from Arkansas). I worked for a major Airline and one of the benefits is reduced rates for immediate family, this was a key to getting everyone there. My mom was in Maryland at the time, as my sister was expecting her first kid. She wanted to be at both places at the same time (impossible), my dad finally told her stay with my sister. He said "a new life is as important to the family as the passing of a family member", another life lesson. In 1991 my dad passed away, from injuries he suffered in a auto accident, he was in the hospital for 38 days, with only thing keeping him there was the equipment he was hooked up to. My dad was the smartest man I have ever known. He had a hard time teaching anybody else though. He did teach me about dignity, he believed their was no dignity or life with a "machine" being the only thing keeping you here. I along with my siblings struggled with this, we all knew what we had to do, the hardest thing any of us have ever done. Another life lesson and made us a better family!

jpost take care of yourself, your family and especially your mom. Thank you for this post, I haven't seen my mom since she returned from South Dakota, Tomorrow going to call her in the morning and take her out for dinner. Thanks again, my moms been back a week now and I should have seen her already.

Positive thoughts coming your way my friend.

An a good thing to remind folks of.

Reminds me of this song..same message basically..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9TShlMkQnc

Sirscrapalot - And I gave forgiveness I've been denying, And he said someday I hope you get the chance, To live like you were dyin'. - Tim Mcgraw, from the song Live like you were Dyin'.

I just posted on another thread that sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses. That's loosely what I meant as of now I have lost a dad, stepdad, my mom and older brother. I'm the last one in my immediate family, except for my youngest daughter who claims she's keeping her last name (if-when) she gets married.

My older brother kept working way after retirement time (his 25) cause his kids were very needy. He was still working when he had a heart attack and died. Except for a little fishing he really never got to enjoy life. (32 total years on the job) and what did it get him???

That's the real $hits about being on dialysis, I can't even drink a few beers to take the edge off on threads like this.

I write this not in any attempt to take away from what pjost is going through but perhaps a story of perseverance in the face of tragedy.

My great-grandparents on my dad's side immigrated from Ukraine (they were ethnic Germans living in Russia) to the southeast corner of the Dakota Territory prairie in 1873. They already had some kids and think more were born before 1886 but that March they had 6 kids of which the oldest was about 19, a son that had my GGF's name. Some epidemic came through and in the space of 3 weeks, 4 of the kids died, including the oldest. My GGF's hair turned white from the stress and someone in our extended family has some old photos from the funerals. Very sad times. But my GG parents had a deep faith (along with their community) that God will provide (I'm sure they had questions on why bad things happen to people who believe in a loving and merciful God) and they went on living. I think they went on to have 4 more kids even though my GGM was probably pushing 40, including my GGF who as the youngest son ended up with the family farm. My GGF died 48 years after his 4 kids did. I'm sure he struggled with my he lived to be an old man and his kids didn't but those answers aren't found in the human realm unfortunately (my belief).

So, also in my belief system a person should get (and keep) things right with their family and the people they come in contact with (people may think forgiveness should be easy but its not, its hard gut-wrenching work) and keep thing right with God because we never know walking out that door if its going to be our last. All I know is that I know I have an eternal love that is always there willing to take me back no matter how I've screwed things up only if I'm willing to ask for forgiveness and truly believe it...

I don't know .... it's the ending that gives life meaning. When you can accept the idea that your time is running out it puts everything into perspective.

If you knew with a certainty that today would be your last day on earth how would you live it ?

Would you stop & smell the roses ?

Would you grieve and grudge over the loss of those who have passed before you -or- would you rejoice & give thanks for the time that you did get to spend with them ?

Would you try to leave the world a better place ?

Would you try to mend fences with those closest with you ?

Would you try to let go of a lifetime of regrets ?

Ayuh .... the reaper is gonna come around to visit us all someday. JMO ... but you're not really living unless you try to live every day as though it were your last.

The older we get, the more often we must go through these times. I am 53 and I lost my mom three years ago. My dad just turned 75 and the passing of my mother has made me so afraid that I will get the call regarding my dad. We are all lucky having been born, we are all lottery winners to be born when and where we are.

I hope you can find happiness in life again as soon as possible.

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Originally Posted by pjost

I'm soon to be a grandpa from an unwed step-daughter. Neither I nor my wife was happy about the news of the pregnancy. However we are going to welcome this new life with open arms. Friends and family is where it's at.

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Well, as noted above, here's our new addition to the world. Call PJ grandpa PJ now lol. Some lives leave this world and new lives come into the world. Guess it happens every day.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7rckgxtc.jpg

Little Emma. Look at all that curly black hair. She came in at 7lbs. 13oz.

Mom (my step daughter) and baby are doing well. Grandma (my wife) is bouncing off the walls with excitement.

I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. I never had kids of my own, so this is going to be a new adventure for me. Did I mention mom and baby are going to be living with me and the wife?

Even tho I have no blood relation to this little girl, Somehow I feel some kind of connection. I'm hoping to be the best grandpa ever.

Very cool!!!! I believe there is a purpose for this situation. Enjoy the wee little one. They grow up fast...

Best Christmas present ever, congrats pjost!