You ever have one of those weeks that seems to conspire against your best laid plans?

Last week my dad went into the hospital after a sudden blackout and fall while playing tennis. Turns out, after many tests, he needed a quadruple bypass. This news came as a huge shock to not only my family, but everyone who knows my dad. He’s not overweight and instead is very active, always playing tennis or lifting weights. So since last week I’ve been traveling between PA and NJ to see him and be with my family.

Life throws curve balls. I just wrote about scheduling writing goals and as I was getting geared up to get on my writing frenzy and wrangle my novel into submission, life had different plans. While it’s difficult to understand why things happen the way that they, these events also serve as reminders of what’s truly important to each of us.

Thankfully, Dad is doing fine and on the road to recovery, but it did give me plenty of time to reflect not only on the value of my family and taking the time to enjoy every shared moment, but it also made me appreciate the every day joys of being healthy and being able to do all those things I love. Here’s to not wasting any of those moments.