My mother passed away three years ago. She and my dad had been married for 57 years, and I was deeply concerned for my father. I stayed in close contact with him, calling him daily and doing for him what I could to be helpful, like going with him to doctor appointments too.
One evening, I was late calling him. He told me he was worried that I wasn’t going to call and realized how important those calls had become for him. I made sure to call him at our agreed-upon time after that. His health then started to decline, and a few months later, at the hospital, he had a cardiac episode and passed away right in front of me. After the funeral, two of his regular nurses reached out to tell me that my dad had spoken of me many times, and how my daily phone calls made him feel better, because he knew that he was not alone and someone was concerned enough to call often and to provide him support.
One of the things I’ve learned from you is that a good life is not about money, status, power or material goods. A good life is what kind of person you are and how you behave to others. You can pay someone to stay with you if you’re not well, but you can’t pay someone to truly care about you when you are sick. I will always have the knowledge that my small actions improved his quality of life when he needed it.
Alan
How to Have A Good Life
