I just celebrated my 80th birthday one week ago.

Because our daughter was having a medical emergency on that day, she was immediately hospitalized.

Of course, my wife and I spent the day at her bedside along with her husband.

I received a phone call a few days thereafter from one of my sons.

He was commiserating with me about the fact that instead of celebrating on my 80th, I spent the day in the hospital.

That phone call from him was obviously well-intentioned.

It also, however, provided me with the opportunity for a teaching moment.

I reminded him that we are “FIRST A SPOUSE AND SECONDLY A PARENT!”

Celebrating something doesn’t supersede serious parenting responsibilities.

Commitment to a marriage and to the role of parenting are the two major commitments of our lives!

If not today, when?

“I’M BORED WITH IT ALL!”

Yep, that’s what he said with his last words at the age of 90.

Now, please understand that he had one of the most noteworthy lives ever lived!

As a young cavalry officer, he fought in the Boer War in South Africa.

He was captured and successfully escaped.

He volunteered to fight in France in the trenches during WW1.

He was Prime Minister of England while Hitler’s army was destroying everything in its path.

He almost lost the entire British Army on the beaches of Dunkirk, France.

But, he designed a rescue plan involving hundreds of naval and privately owned boats.

His Lend-Lease Plan gave temporary use of British Islands to the U.S. in exchange for American Destroyers used to defeat the German “Wolf Pack” submarines that were sinking allied shipping.

At the lowest moment in recent history, one man stood tall and that man was Winston Spencer Churchill!

May his inspiring style of leadership come again in this hour of need.

If not today, when?

A long time friend of ours is a nun who taught in a girl’s high school for many years.

During most of those years, she lived with a fellow sister who was the principal of that same high school.

The sisters were great friends and confidants.

The other sister passed away recently.

Our friend sent me a birthday card saying, “I’m starting a new life.”

She is adjusting to life without her constant partner.

I’m telling you this story because all throughout our lives, we must accept and adjust to change.

Even when we are 90 years old.

Reach out to the lonely!

If not today, when?

Last night, we were waiting for our car at a hospital where we were visiting our daughter who is ill.

There was an African American man sitting in a wheelchair also waiting for his car.

He said to us, “You look like a happy couple. How long have you been married?”

We told him and he went on to tell us that he is single and despite his disease, hopes to marry some day.

Hopefully, he will meet and marry someone who is not deterred by his terrible disease.

Let us not ignore the suffering people all around us, wherever we go.

As harsh as it sounds, this world is composed of HAVES and HAVE NOTS.

Most HAVES ignore the HAVE NOTS!

Don’t do that.

If GOD has blessed us with a good life, let’s reach out and lift someone up.

If not today, when?

We all have to deal with it on a regular basis.

Let’s look at the various kinds of disappointment:

IN YOURSELF

You can do something about this that improves your life forever.

You may have a bad habit that needs to stop.

You may be disappointed in yourself because you’re not putting out the degree of effort needed to improve a situation at home or at work.

IN YOUR MARRIAGE

If your marriage has been disappointing thus far, will you take the initiative to make it better?

IN YOUR KIDS

Social media and peer pressure are your two biggest enemies when trying to influence their values and behavior.

You must be more involved in their lives than ever before.

 IN YOUR EMPLOYMENT SITUATION

Can you improve your status at your present place of employment or must you look elsewhere?

Do you have the courage to leave everything familiar and strike out in a new direction?

If not today, when?

The Covid Pandemic has caused harm to your kids’ social and emotional development.

The long periods of time sequestered away from their friends and classmates have taken a toll with long term effects according to the experts.

The degree of harm will vary with each child.

Unlike physical harm, emotional harm is not easy to detect.

A simple piece of advice: Get your kids out of the house.

Go for walks.

Take them to playgrounds.

Go to public parks.

Do anything you can think of that can help them connect with the world outside your home.

I would also suggest that you seek advice from local mental health professionals.

Please don’t under-estimate the harm that has been done.

BECOME INVOLVED!

If not today, when?

Flight attendants are getting their teeth knocked out by passengers.

Video also circulated of a passenger getting taped to his seat after he reportedly punched and groped Frontier Airlines flight crew.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has issued more than $1 million in fines to unruly airline passengers so far in 2021.

US flight attendants tell CNN Travel that the stress of the situation is taking its toll,

Susannah Carr, who works for a major US airline, says unruly incidents used to be “the exception, not the rule.” Now they’re “frequent.” (CNN)

HAS OUR SOCIETY REALLY COME TO THIS?

I’ve also noticed, while driving, that more drivers are likely to cut you off.

What can you and I do about this denigration of societal behavior?.

To begin with, we can PRACTICE GOOD MANNERS!

You and your daily behavior can make a positive difference.

If not today, when?

Probably not and maybe that’s just fine with you.

Or, is this the day that you entertain new thoughts about the various segments of your life.

Let’s start with YOUR MARRIAGE: Is there any improvement that you can and should make?

It is the one relationship that will most affect your happiness or unhappiness.

How about YOUR KIDS?

Are you providing the right kind of leadership for them?

Are they on the right track or is there some intervention that must come from you?

How about YOUR EMPLOYMENT?

Your superior probably needs to see some kind of EXTRA EFFORT from you in order to give you a raise, a promotion or both.

Your daily life in any of these areas can always become better and more fulfilling if you want to make it happen.

Do something to improve your life today!

If not today, when?

Are you on the right path in your career?

Is this what you thought you’d be doing for a living at this point in your life?

Does it give you the revenue you need and is it fun?

Can your present position lead to future advancement in the organization?

Is future earning potential available to you?

If the answer is “NO” to these questions, what are you going to do about it?

Your situation probably won’t get better on its own.

If you are risk averse, get over it!

You only live once and once is enough if you do it right!

I don’t know what you should do to “STOP BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE.”

Should you justify and ask for a raise or a promotion?

Should you plan on starting your own business?

Should you take on a second job in an area that appeals to you so you can look at it more closely without losing your present job?

You should try do what you really like doing.

If not today, when?