When I was eight years old, I was in a bike race with the neighborhood kids and the last part was a huge hill we had to go down. I was in the middle of the pack until someone clipped me from behind and I went into the curb head first and bounced and bounced and bounced. I broke my collar bone and my face was bleeding everywhere. Oh, I also didn’t cry which to do this day, I still don’t know why.
My mom came home from work and saw me on the porch just bleeding and took me inside and cleaned me up. She put neosporin on my wounds and before she did, she stopped and kissed me on small part of my forehead. I will never forget it. “That is the only place that isn’t bleeding.” She kissed me again and said, “I love you, but don’t do this again.”
Of course I continued a lifetime of breaking her heart which most of us boys end up doing it anyway. Always, she would end it with me or my brother or my sister with a, “I love you.”
Those words were powerful to me as a kid and as I got older, I only said those to my family or my kids. That is it. Until one moment that changed it all.
My best friend had a heart attack and was dead for three minutes and by the grace and love of God, he survived. He still add work to do on this earth. It was a painstaking 72 hours not knowing if he would survive because only 3% did. He was in that percentage. He called me when he came to and as we talked I said, “I love you, don’t do this again.” Sound familiar?
That was in September of 2022 and since then, in a genuine moment, I tell my friends that I love them. At first yes, it was awkward but now, it is commonplace. Again, I don’t throw it around but in genuine moments, tell them that you love them. I will never forget my mom telling me that after the wreck. Powerful to me. Powerful.
On our radio show each week, we have former Titans player Chris Sanders and he is just a fantastic God fearing man. As we ended our segment awhile ago, he said, “I just want you guys to know that I love you and thanks for having me on so we can talk life, not just football, not life.” Hearing that from another man at a moment when I was having a bad day was just beautiful.
Remember, us boys were told to grow up and be tough and not show emotions but I am telling you, my son will grow up but I pray he shows emotions because that is passion and nothing great is never accomplished without passion.
I guess what I am saying is never miss the opportunity to tell someone that you love them. Even if it feels weird and uncomfortable, that makes it even better. Again, make sure they are genuine moments and from the heart and man, can they make your day better. And theirs as well.
I will always go back to that moment with my mom, who after a hard day at work, busting her tail as a single mom, only to come home and see her son covered in blood. All she did was clean me up and tell me that she loved me in a moment when she probably should have been busting my butt.
Never miss a moment.
