“For One More Day”

by MEK

Today is the anniversary of my father’s death. It’s not like it happened yesterday, but many, many years ago (17 to be exact) – but this day still sticks in my mind like it was. In many ways it was a blessing. He suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and was totally bedridden, but his mind was still as sharp as ever.

I wish that I had taken advantage of this time to ask him about his childhood, his parents, their parents, how it was growing up on that farm, his early years in the military, but I did not. Instead, I showed up occasionally (not as often as I should have) with a McDonald’s ice cream sundae that I had to feed to him. He would ask me three questions and they were the same every time. How is work? How is your car running? And how is your love life? Then the conversation ended. The sundae had been consumed. And we would sit there and look at each other.

Mitch Albom wrote a bestseller “For One More Day” – when I read this book – I immediately went out and got copies for my mother and my siblings. It became part of everyone’s Christmas gift that year. I have thought many times about what I would do with my dad if we just had ONE MORE DAY!!

He would be whole and healthy. We would play a round of golf (oh, he LOVED his golf), then we’d go to the 19th hole and have an adult beverage or two or three. We would hug each other. He would tell me he loved me (he never did – we were just supposed to know) and I would tell him that I loved him too. And that would be the end of the perfect day.

If you could have One More Day with anyone – who would it be and what would you do?