Wow! What a Ride!
Living life to the fullest seems to be a popular concept to embrace when we are young and starting out. There are many new things to experience and dreams to guide us as we set out to make a life for ourselves. Lots of life happens in the middle, and then there’s the “bucket list” to consider when we are older.
What happens in the middle? Life is pretty consuming once we start a family and get deep into our careers. In an ideal world, we are able to manage all the obligations of life while staying true to all of the dreams we set out to accomplish. Other times we get so overwhelmed with career and family that we forget the big picture. I’ll admit that there are times when I go into basic survival mode and I don’t even know what I’m looking for anymore. I usually get the big picture back when I have had a quiet chance to reflect or something big happens that sets me straight again.
“Life is short, make the most of it while you can,” it is said. For the most part, I live my life with full appreciation of this reality, but sometimes I do find it difficult to initiate anything that is outside of my daily routine, and I find myself saying no to things too much.
Anyway, something big happened recently that reminded me that I cannot go through life worrying about the small things so much. One of the things I have avoided in recent years is flying with all of our kids back to the U.S. to visit family. Traveling overseas with three young children is full of imperfect moments that frustrate and get the better of me. As a result, up until this past summer we had not been back to the U.S. as a family for over four years.
Since it had been so long since our last visit, and her mother was having some major health issues, my wife insisted that we go home and see family. Instead of going to our hometowns, my wife came up with the idea to “force” our families to take a trip as well. My side of the family traveled to Chicago to see us for the first week and then we rented a cabin in Pennsylvania to spend time with her family for the second week. We didn’t realize how important this trip would be until later.
About a month after returning to Switzerland, we received the terrible news that my dad had advanced liver cancer. He died about a month later. My dad was 71 and had never had any serious illnesses. He was starting to show his age in recent years, but we never imagined this was going to happen. The time in Chicago with all of his grandchildren was wonderful, but only now do I realize just how lucky we are that my wife decided to make this trip happen.
My dad always enjoyed a good party with friends and family. He experienced a lot in his lifetime, but at the same time, he lived simply. He wasn’t particularly good at managing life’s many responsibilities, but he sure did enjoy life, and his humor was a gift that made everyone around him smile and laugh. He never worried too much about anything and would simply say that everything will work itself out whenever anything serious did come up.
If you had a reason to celebrate, he would be there to celebrate with you. If there were drinks to be had, he would always enjoy one with you. If you needed support, he would be there for you. Throughout the years and until the very end, my dad worked hard and played hard.
I came across the following quote earlier in the summer and it really helped me process everything that was happening. It sums up how my dad fulfilled his life. It also reminds me that none of us are going to get out of this deal alive, so we should enjoy it while we can.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” -Hunter S. Thompson
By Brian Wilson
Brian is the father of three children. He teaches golf and coordinates a Zurich Dads’ group in his spare time. Email: bwilsoniag@gmail.com
Photo by Brian Wilson
Illustration by Susana Gutierrez
Susana is the mother of two little girls and a freelance illustrator. She can be reached at s.escapa@gmail.com
