I thought I’d change the order of the grades this week. I decided to go with “One More Thing” first.

One More Thing – Something I Never Do (Anymore)

When I was 6 years old, my grandmother would keep me after school until my parents got off work. She also kept two of my cousins. One afternoon, the three of us were playing outside and I found an old metal rod. As 6 year old’s are sometimes prone to do when finding metal rods, I started swinging the rod around and hit one of the cousins in the head. Fortunately, 6 year old’s aren’t extraordinarily strong so my cousin went on to a full recovery.

I, however, had a date with the little red rocking chair that my grandmother owned, which was stationed strategically in the room without access to cartoons. To share my displeasure with my wonderful grandmother, I did not give her a hug, goodbye kiss, or tell her I loved her as was my normal routine before heading home.

Later that evening, my grandmother passed away. For the first time in my young life, I knew the real pain of at-fault guilt. That’s why, since the day I was married, I never leave my wife without hugging Pam, kissing her, and telling her I love her. It’s why I never leave my children without hugging them and telling them that I love them. I give my dad (my grandmother’s son) a hug and tell him I love him after a visit as we depart and head back home. I’m not trying to boast. I’ve made plenty of mistakes as a husband, father, and son. I simply never want the feeling of having neglected to tell and show someone I care about immensely, that I love them.

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