"Perspective" The Story by Mike Mac

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There once was a young boy around the age of 7 years old. He and his Dad decided to go away for the weekend for a special trip. On this trip they fished, played basketball, threw the football, threw the baseball and stayed in an old wooden cabin in the woods. The young boy's father cooked all the meals as the young boy swallowed every last bite. After dinner they would talk. The young boy would ask questions about life to his father. Here are some of the questions:

What is it like to be old? The father replied I don't know son, I'm only 45 yrs old. The son quickly said, but you always talk about how old you are and how your back hurts all the time. The father giggled.

Another question was, what is it like to be married? The father replied, its awesome but sometimes gets really difficult to manage.

He asked another question, what is it like to have kids? The father replied, its one of the best things somebody could ever have but it definitely is a lot of work and can get frusterating sometimes.

The son asked what is it like to be frusterated and mad? The father smiled and said its no fun but you learn to live with your frusterations and realize their is a bigger picture.

The young boy asked another question, what is it like to be rich? The father replied well I don't know I wouldn't consider myself rich. The son replied, well you talk about money all the time I thought you were rich.

Another question was, what is it like to die? The father replied with a sad face, I don't know son, I don't know. The son said, will I die from what the doctors say I have, the thing called Cancer? The father said with a tear in his eye, son you are a hero and heroes never die.

One of his final questions was, what is it like to be famous? The father replied, I wouldn't know but I would assume it would be nice. The son replied immediately, I wanna be famous. The father giggled and held his son in his arms and gave him a big hug. They went to bed that saturday night after a great weekend in the woods.

They left that Sunday morning and came back home Sunday evening.

Three weeks later the son passed away because of the cancer he had been battling for over a year. A few days before he passed away he told his dad, remember when we went to the woods for that special trip? The father replied with a smile, of course son I will never forget that. The son followed by saying, I asked you all those questions because I knew I wouldn't be able to experience them and I wanted to know before I die. The father couldn't say anything. He hugged his son and told him he loved him and how much he has learned from him.

At his funeral the father told the story of the special trip. He told how his son realized he would never be able to experience all the lows and highs in life and that it taught him a huge lesson about life. The father followed that statement with tears in his eyes by saying whenever life is bad I think of my son and how he would have loved to experience pain and heartbreak just so he would know what it feels like. So I ask that on this day forward you remember my son and remember to have perspective.

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This is a story I think about often and decided to write last night. I think it really touches on the big picture of life and exemplifies the true meaning of having perspective on life


Love,
Mike Mac