Today is nine years since my father was killed.  For those of you who don't know, my father met his end in Eureka Springs while riding his scooter.  It was one of the most difficult times of my life.  Nine years later I look back and can see how it was a defining 'moment in time.'  With that said, there are things that I learned from that horrible tragedy that I still carry with me.

1) Always wear a helmet, but even a helmet cannot save your life in some horrific accidents. 
2) It's better to live your life regretting some things that you do rather than regretting things you never did.  Meaning: it's better to learn your mistakes by making them rather than thinking about what might have been.
3) Family is sometimes an accident of birth, or of marriage.  Family doesn't make some people love you anymore than if you were a stranger on the street.
4) It's better to die loving what you do than to live wishing you had done whatever it is that you love.
5) Sh*t happens.

I still miss my dad everyday.  The pain isn't quite as sharp as it was those first few weeks or months, but it's a pain that's still there.  I wish he could've seen his twin great-grandsons, and I know that he'd be laughing his butt off watching Brandon (his grandson, and my nephew) negotiate being a father of twins.  Daddy did it at the ripe ol' age of 20, and I know in many ways he was an awkward father.  He had his faults, but all in all...I could've been dealt a worse hand.  This is where I'm at: thankful for what I had, and looking to the future.  I've made my own mistakes as a parent.  It is never easy.  But here's the deal: life is short, and we should all enjoy the time we have.