Strive to live life to the fullest every day
- Bob Hanna: Someday
- November 1, 2019
- 1331
Well, if ever there was a lesson learned from the philosophy of my Someday column, it was the past two weeks since my last article. As you know, I strive to encourage you to live life to the fullest every day. Not tomorrow or next week, for they will come soon enough — or maybe not.
A few weeks ago my older sister Norma from Fredericksburg said she was having some pain in her jaw, which led her to seek her doctor’s advice, which led her to having a stress test, which led her to triple bypass surgery. We did get the chance to visit with her once at Aultman Hospital after her surgery and once at Majora Lane Nursing Home.
The morning after our second visit, we got a call telling us she had passed away. Sixteen hours previous we were laughing and telling stories. Norma Jean Hanna was 82 years old.
My sister was more like a second mom, as I wrote a few months ago in an article about the Fourth of July flood of 1969 in Fredericksburg, where she lived. I spent many summer days at their home.
My wife and I were on our way to Cleveland on that Friday when we got the news to fulfill another “someday” dream. When I heard Celine Dion was on tour and coming to Cleveland, I planned to ask Taryn if she would go with me. Well, you know how life gets in the way of living. By the time I finally did get around to asking her, the affordable seats were gone. My loving wife told me if I wanted to go bad enough, she would go with me and to go ahead and buy floor seats.
Yes, it was worth it. I consider Celine Dion as one of the finest vocalists of all time. We booked a room at the Drury Hotel just a couple blocks from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, where the concert was held.
I’m not one for crowds, except for Ohio State football games, and big cities scare me (country boy), but we walked to and from the concert through the streets of downtown Cleveland, stopping at a burger joint on the way back (no problem). You’ve heard me say many times we need to step out of our comfort zones to find new experiences.
Truett Foster McKeehan, age 21, was found dead at his home in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 23. While this name may not be familiar to you, he is the son of Christian hip hop artist Toby Mac (Toby McKeehan). The cause of death was cardiac arrest. I have had the privilege of meeting both Toby and his son in the past. Too young, too soon, in our eyes. We send our condolences to the family.
Once again, we ask why. Stories like these are all too familiar. We are plastered with them so hard each day in the news that we almost become callous to them. We can turn off the television and throw the newspaper in the trash, but people live these “stories” every day.
These are people: someone’s sister, someone’s son. No one is immune to life’s hardships.
Through the good and bad, one thing is clear: God’s love. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
On a final note in the hunting world, we’ve been seeing some great pics and hearing some great stories. The rut is about here, and deer are on the move, so good luck to all of you hunters.
Nothing to report from the Hanna camp yet, but we’ll keep you posted. Be safe out there, and God bless.