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Good morning,

I’m writing this the day after Thanksgiving - still reflecting on how much I have to be thankful for. And at the same time looking back on how I was feeling five years ago at this time.

November 2020 was one of the most difficult seasons of my life.

My Dad had been in the hospital for over two months after a fluke fall in a Wal-Mart parking lot and it felt like we were riding a rollercoaster that shifted daily - or sometimes hourly - between hope and doom.

Then, five years ago this Thanksgiving week, we found out the rollercoaster was slowing down. The doctors whom we had spent countless hours strategizing with on all of the potential treatment options pulled us aside and told us that there was nothing else they could do for my Dad.

There was no more hope.

The end was near.

And just like the doctors, there was nothing we could do to change that reality.

All we could do was turn on some of his favorite music, hold his hand, and soak up the last bit of time together. It felt helpless in so many ways.

When I walked out of his hospital room for the final time, I was in a daze.

I couldn’t believe how everything had changed in two short months. From fully healthy to no longer with us.

Even though I had lost my Mom as a boy, this experience with my Dad hammered home two time truths that I don’t want to ever forget.

THE TWO PRICELESS TIME TRUTHS

My Dad’s passing was an ignition moment for me to live with even more intentionality than I had been. And these truths are at the forefront of what I want to remember as I go through this life in a very deliberate way.

TIME TRUTH #1: Time is running out

My Dad’s death solidified it for me. There’s no outrunning it. And it hit me hard at that time because I realized I was literally half his age - and that could mean I was already halfway done with my life. 50% of the way? Really? Quite possibly.

Do you know what else? Since it’s been five years now - that means I’ve lived 13.5% of the time I have left until I get to be his age. 86.5% to go. Will that be the end of my time? I don’t know, but the numbers hammer home that my time is running out.

It sounds so simple, but when life is moving quickly I operate as if I have unlimited time.

In the Bible, there’s an ancient Psalm that is so applicable to this. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” - Psalm 92:10

Numbering my days helps me to keep in mind that I don’t have unlimited time left - as much as I operate as if I do.

TIME TRUTH #2: Time is uncertain

The harsher reality that I’ve experienced first-hand with the passing of both my parents is this: how much time we have left is uncertain.

I think, hope, and believe I’ll live to be 100. But I’m sure my Mom and my Dad thought they would get there too.

And so does nearly everyone else.

Yet, everything could change in an instant. As it did with my Dad’s totally normal trip to Wal-Mart.

Acknowledging and acting in relation that time is running out and uncertain gives me a sense of urgency to chase what matters most!

OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Even though I am aware of those two time truths, I’m prone to ignore them. Reflecting on five years having gone by, it’s literally flownnnnnn. Yesterday I was looking at a picture I took with Jude (my oldest) the week after my Dad died. He was five in the picture. That means half his life has happened since. He was a little kid in that picture - and now he’s sprouting up over five feet tall. On that day we had taken a 1:1 adventure together to the Oregon coast for some hang time.

That day was the epitome of a kid being a kid.

Yet, time is for sure running out - and uncertain - on how long he’ll still be a kid.

So if time is both running out and uncertain, then that means so is my TEA (time, energy, and attention).

I don’t have infinite TEA - but I do have the opportunity to use my limited TEA in a very intentional way.

Which brings me back to thinking about my Dad. There are always going to be things I wish I could still do with him, but one of the reasons I felt like our relationship was in a great place when he had his accident was because I had been intentionally spending some of my TEA to create memorable moments with my Dad.

One example was that for several years I was driving 45 minutes south on Wednesday mornings 2x a month to meet my Dad for breakfast at 6:30am at the Original Pancake House. This was the opposite direction of Nike’s campus - meaning my commute got a lot longer.

There was no agenda, just having a great meal together to connect. At 8am I would get on the road, dial into my call with the team in Europe, and drive to Nike’s campus.

Did I have to do this? Of course not.

Was it inconvenient? Yes completely. But so worth it.

In the end, those kinds of moments were foundational for me to feel like my Dad and I were good when he passed away. They weren’t everyday or every week. And there would be months where I couldn’t make it down because of conflicts. But overall, I was taking intentional steps to invest in a relationship that was really important to me.

But I don’t make those choices naturally. I get so focused on what it feels like I have to do that I miss out on creating moments.

As I reflect on five years having passed, it’s more clear for me than ever that I want to create moments to connect with the relationships that are most important to me.

That’s the only way I can combat the two time truths. If I create memorable moments with the TEA I have right now, then regardless of my time running out and being uncertain, I’m going to be moving towards Worthy Wins.

My big encouragement to you: Don’t wait to create memorable moments. They might be inconvenient, but they don’t have to be massive. Just make the choice to make small investments in the relationships that matter most.

Rooting for you,

JO

WORTHY WINS REFLECTION QUESTIONS

A few simple questions to ponder...

• Am I living like I have unlimited time left?
• Are the most important relationships in my life getting my best?
• What is a memorable moment I can create this week with someone who is one of my most important relationships?

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PS: If you would like to help me out on the book front, the biggest thing I need right now are reviews on Amazon. ❤️

If you haven't gotten a copy and are still willing, here's the best ways: ​Hardcover and Paperback, ​​Kindle, & ​Barnes and Noble.

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{Saint Augustine, FL 32080}