‘Tomorrow, You’re Only A Day Away’ – words sung by a little girl who wishes for a better time.
We all wish for a better tomorrow but I have a question – How many of you have had an important call to make but keep putting it off until tomorrow?
Let me tell you a story to explain my thoughts on this.
About thirty years ago, my immediate family moved from Colorado to Washington, leaving family all other family there in four seasons Colorado. In the first few months, there were lots of calls ‘home’, to get caught up on lives and to place orders for items I couldn’t find here. After a while, the calls became less frequent, then only birthdays and holidays. As lives became busier, even these calls were missed – I’ll do it tomorrow. But that didn’t always happen.
But one afternoon about 20 years ago (it doesn’t seem that long ago) I received ‘The Call’. My Dad was seriously ill and decisions had to be made. As I held the phone and waited for the Doctor to verify something, my memories went places I had forgotten about. My Dad, My Hero, was in serious condition and I had put off that call. The person in my life who was always there for me, to call when I needed just to talk. He was the barrier when my Mother came unglued – he knew how to calm her down and wrap his arms around me to keep me safe.
I was his first child and we had a special bond and because of this we did things together. To this day, I have a unique space in my mind and heart that includes only him and our adventures.
While listening to ‘Muzac’ as I waited on hold for the doctor a couple adventures that stay at the top and keep creeping into my being at unexpected times did so now. A road trip to New York to meet his family and touch base with my Moms who were in the area. You need to imagine, two adults and 2 girls (ages of 7 and 10) in one Ford station wagon pulling a camper. Let’s just say some of the days were really long. To keep us entertained, we played ‘slug bug’ and I bruise easily. Also reading the signs
IF YOU DON’T KNOW
WHOSE SIGNS
THESE ARE
YOU CAN’T HAVE
DRIVEN VERY FAR
Burma Shave.
Competition was loud and fierce and I remember hearing my Mom and then my Dad reminding us to quiet down ‘or else’. We had an awesome time at his family home in Sayville, NY and great stop at Old Faithful to which is verified in an ad for Enco Oil. My Dad is pictured in the ad sitting on a log viewing the hot spout. Now that is priceless for so many reasons.
The second is an afternoon with just us. He worked at an ice plant moving ice blocks for delivery and the money was used just for entertainment. That day was a double header with the Denver Bears. We had box seats behind home base and I still have a signed album by Rex Allen (yes country even then), who was the entertainment between games. I caught (well he caught as I didn’t see it coming) a foul ball. Have no idea what happened to the ball but the memory is still there.
And now the girls had choices to make, phone calls back and forth for about two weeks until it was decided to bring my Dad here to Vancouver and to spend his last years with my family as between the three of us, Rusty, my husband, Geoff, my son and myself, we could be around all day to make sure he would never be alone. The years promised turned into only two weeks. It was a long two weeks but a period where I learned that calls are important.
I still wonder if I had called at Christmas when he started feeling bad, could I have talked him into going to the doctor sooner? If I had called could l have convinced him to move out here sooner? Could I have moved back to Colorado and taken care of him there?
A lot of what ifs but the point I wish to make, all I really needed to do was pick up the phone, dial and just talk.
Tomorrow, You’re Only A Day Away’ – it is not a day away, it is now – make that call.