Say it!

Usually I have it all together... Usually I dont think about it or dwell on it... But then there are those times, those seasons that force their way into my mind and I'm forced to deal with it.

I lost my Dad in 1991. I lost him to a heart attack at the age of 64. Like most fathers he was the Rock of the family. He was the last word. And to make it more significant, he had 4 boys who all focused intently on every word he spoke, hoping to become just like him.

I lost my Mom in 2001 to cancer. She was 76 when she left me. Where my Dad was the Rock, my Mom was the Heart of the family. And just as most Moms are, she made everything better. From curing a sniffle to making a horrible joke funny, she was amazing

. I lost my brother Darin in 2004 to suicide but to be honest, I lost him years earlier when my Mom passed. He was my best friend even though I didn't realize it until he was gone. We fought like most brothers do but our lives were entwined more during our adult life than it ever was while we were young. At one point in our lives, we lived together, worked a day job together as barbers and even worked at a night club together, never realizing that we were in each others company the entire day.

Each one of them know that I loved them. I am sure of that. That's not the problem. The problem is I just can't seem to fake it well any longer. For years I worked diligently to hide my tears during those times that I missed them the most. I went to the first game of the 2001 World Series with friends and the entire time all I could think about was my Dad should have been sitting next to me. When Barrack Obama became our first "Black" President all I wanted to see was my Moms smile and see just how proud she would have been. And every time something happens in my daily life, whether it's a comedian on TV, a new musical hit on the radio or that new sushi bar in town, I miss sharing it with my brother. The point to all of this is I took it all for granted. As much as I loved it, I took it for granted that it would ALWAYS be this way. I never took the time to look into their eyes and remind them that I loved them. I took it all for granted.

During this week, take the time to take aside anyone who is important to you and let them know just how much they mean to you. Take your ego and leave it at home and go up to your silly brother and tell him that you love him dearly. That son or daughter that isn't quite old enough to know what you are talking about or why you are saying it, SAY IT! Trust me there will come a time when they will need to hear it, if only in their memories. Say it. Make it as important as buying a Christmas gift. Say it