8 Years Old

On August 20th, 2004, I was finishing my last day of my summer job, hardscaping.  Since I was the only full time employee, my boss wanted us to complete our patio, sidewalk and lighted walkway.  As the sun set, he pulled his truck up onto the grass to give us the light we needed to put the final layer of edging in place.  Just then, my wife called to tell my she was feeling labor pains, so I rushed home, dodging a few deer along the way to take her to the hospital.

This was a special night for our family, but it was also a new era for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Terrell Owens, on his first play of the preseason, caught a long bomb for a touchdown from Donovan McNabb.  Yes, the Eagles were on their way to another Super Bowl loss and I was on my way to experiencing the birth of our third and final child.  Yet, there was a snag; my only daughter inside of my wife was in the breach position and the doctor was not able to turn the child around.  Therefore, the hospital scheduled a c-section for the following day, August 21st.

Yesterday, my baby girl, Lydia Grace, turned 8.  To celebrate, we took her to Hershey Park, where she went on her first roller coaster at age 6.  Since she has grown, she is now a Hershey’s Bar, able to ride on 6 of the 12 coasters at the park.  So on her day, I took her around, sharing a memorable day that hopefully she won’t forget.

In the movie RV,Robin Williams plays a dad who has lost touch with his family.  In the first scene, his little girls in the apple of his eye.  Yet’ when she grows up, they forget about the special times they have shared together.  As a father, I pray that my daughter and I don’t forget days like yesterday or neglect the time we have together while on earth.  Since life is the greatest gift on earth, make the most of every second you have with those whom you love, Ephesians 5:15-16!

by Jay Mankus