I’m going to stray away again today from my regular fire protection articles and talk about something that hits close to home. My hopes are that you will read this and take something from it for the betterment of yourself and those that you love.
I recently lost my Mom on April 20th of 2026. Please don’t be sad for me or her. Where Mama is now, I strive to be with her for eternity, and I will and I know that with 100% certainty. She had a good life. Hard, but good. She was 81 years old and she and Dad were married for over 60 years until her death. They have 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Mom and Dad modeled marriage for all of us. They lived out their vows of for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer and for sickness and for health, till death do us part. My Dad took care of Mama and her health needs for over 30 years, day after day until her passing on April 20th. I will miss her. We will all miss her.
I tell you all of this to say this: You never know when it will be the last time you will get to see or talk to a loved one or a friend. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. No one person is. Death will eventually find us all.
I had something bad done to me over 20 years ago that really rocked my world and it made me a bitter person. I was furious at what was done to me, and I harbored anger and bitterness for a really long time. I wanted nothing but bad things to happen to the people that did me wrong. My anger and bitterness not only affected me but also my marriage life, my spiritual life and friendships. I thank God for having a good friend that spoke a hard truth to me and told me what “a jerk” (not the exact words he used), I have become. It was a brutal truth, and it hurt, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. You see, when you harbor bitterness, resentment, or anger towards another person in your heart, the #1 person that it affects the most is YOU! It also can deeply affect the ones that love you. Your spouse. Your kids. Your friends.
Here are two examples of bitterness: 1) Being bitter towards someone is like drinking a vial of poison in hopes that the person you are mad at will die. 2) Being bitter towards someone is like eating 3 pizzas along with a tub of ice cream and chasing it down with a case of beer and expecting the other person to gain the weight. Doesn’t make any sense, right? It doesn’t at all but that is EXACTLY what bitterness is.
You see, the person you’re mad at has no idea that you drank the poison in the vial or ate all of the junk food. Sounds crazy when you hear it that way doesn’t it? So? What can you do? The answer is simple… Forgive. Make amends. Love. But Eddie… “that person” is a(n)_____________. Maybe so, but you’re not doing it for them. You’re doing it for you and for the ones that you love and that love you. I’m not saying you have to become BFF’s with the person you forgive. You may even be better off without associating with them. However, when you truly forgive someone that you have harbored bitterness towards a weight will be lifted off of you like you just can’t believe. Trust me. Been there, done that.
So here is my first challenge for you; Forgive. Make amends. Love. Life is too short and it’s hard enough as it is to also be walking around with bitterness in your heart. Let it go. Make that first step towards that person and I think they’ll be surprised. Do it. It’s worth it.
My second challenge is this: Pick up the phone and call your Mama and tell her that you love her. One day you’ll wish you could.
Till next time,
-eddie-
