I'm Back. . .and just a thought about NO REGRETS

So, it has been a very long time since I have blogged on this sight, but have decided that it is time to come back and make this a regular thing for me :).  I have so much I want to share that I have learned and hope that it will benefit someone else.  
First and foremost I want to go back to the No REGRETS post.  At the time I posted about someone I didn't know, but over the last year I have had my own experiences that have really woke me up.  
I have always strived to enjoy every day and every one I come in contact with, but we all have our days.  A year ago in November was one of those days.  On Friday, November 4th I had been in charge, with a friend of mine, of an auction fundraiser for our school.  It is a huge endeavor with all of the donations wrapped in baskets and a special evening event for adults.  We generally raise around $7000 - $9000 from this event.  By the time the night was over I was exhausted, but on Saturday my niece was getting baptized.  
We got up early and went to the baptism and then had lunch as a family.  After lunch many of us decided we wanted to go play laser tag.  Between my brothers and sisters and spouses and their children there was around 30 of us.  We had a great afternoon and it was really fun, but I was even more tired. 
Sunday we went over to my parent's for dinner.  For about 20 years or so we have loved playing Acquire as a family with my parent's and often times we will play on Sunday evenings.  My brother tried to talk me into it, but I had hit a point that I was sooo tired.  I decided that we would have the next week or there would be another time.  It was one of the first times that I just didn't give in and enjoy a game with my family.
The next morning I sent my son off on the bus around 7:05 a.m. and told him it was going to be a low key day and I would be home when he got off the bus.  About 7:15 a.m. my phone rings and it is my sister.  She is panicked.  She tells me that my dad hadn't been breathing for awhile and the paramedics were working on him.  I don't remember the exact words, but it sent major panic in me. 
I didn't know what to do, but walk around the house and say, "Perfect Faith."  It was all that could cross my mind.  I hurried and got ready for the day and ran to the hospital with my husband and my 3 boys that were still home.  When we got to the emergency room they were working on him and said they had finally gotten a pulse, but he had gone a long time without oxygen.  As I am writing this I can still feel the emotions of that day.  Several of the men in our family gathered to give him a priesthood blessing before he was taken to ICU.  They were going to freeze my dad to slow down the potential damage.
There are many days and a year worth of stories that go into this, but as I sat in the waiting room with my family waiting for the doctor to come out and tell us the status of my dad I had the thought come into my mind that I just wish I would have stayed that one hour and played the game with my family.  It was a regret and I didn't know if I would ever get to play the game with him again.  It seems so trivial, but when I hugged him goodbye Sunday evening he was healthy and fine.  Monday morning by 7:00 a.m. he is having a cardiac arrest.  This is a major thing, but how many times in our life could we go to a party and enjoy it even if we don't want to be there or enjoy the time reading with our child even though there is frustration with reading.  Are there times that our children ask us to play a game and we say no, but in reality if we spent 10 minutes with them playing the game they would move onto something else and feel totally happy that we spent time with them.  Do we take an extra second to hug our parent's when we leave their home.  Are we mad at someone that now seems so trivial with what we fought over, but refuse to raise the surrender flag?  What do we have to lose - what do we have to gain?  
The outcome for my dad turned out to be witnessing immense amount of miracles and he did return home to be with his family and can function and enjoy his life.  We have played that game again several times, but I definitely cherish every time we play it.  It is a constant reminder of cherishing every moment.  My children will tell everyone that their mom's saying is, "NO REGRETS" and I mean it.  Take each day at a time and find ways to cherish each moment.     
 

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