I believe this is the fourth or fifth time I have started this blog.
Every New Year, most of us take the time to review the past year and think about the parts of our life we want to change, adjust or improve. This year will be different for me—I won’t be looking to change, adjust or improve on my past year. I will be making a big change, but not in the standard New Year way.
We face rough times on some jobs dealing with unhappy homeowners and the stress of being in the flooring business. I was thinking about a year-end promotion we had going at Middle Tennessee Lumber, so I was calling friends to say, “Hey, we have a great deal.” I made about six calls; I got to say hello, Merry Christmas, happy New Year and all that goes with the year-end. My next call was the call that set me back in my truck and had me in tears.
My next call was the call that set me back in my truck and had me in tears.
My very good and dear friend Eddie Jones was that last phone call I made. Eddie and I go back a long way, so long that I don’t know how long. He has a flooring company in East Tennessee; he has a great crew and they do outstanding work. Well, he had a battle with cancer a year ago and he beat it. We all were thanking God for the victory. Then he went in for a checkup and they found a little spot that the doctors had concerns with. He went in and had it removed, and they did some treatments to kill it one more time. We were just excited—beside ourselves with tears of joy.
This recent call brought the tears again, but not tears of joy. Eddie was not feeling right, so he went to the doctor to see what was up. That is when they said the news none of us wants to hear: The cancer has come back, but this time it was in spaces it was not in before. They gave him the bad news and said the only treatment will be extreme and hard, and it will be his only shot to get better. They did not paint a beautiful picture for him. He was numb to the information the doctors gave him. He did not know how to tell me, and he did not know how to take it in. While we make plans to improve, change or adjust for the new year, Eddie has to plan a long, hard battle for his life.
I guess what this blog is about is not New Year resolutions, it’s about life. The big change for me this year won’t be my improvements or my areas of adjustments. It will be about my friend Eddie Jones and his battle. I will say a prayer for him every day, and I will call him and offer any support I can. I will stop the mad rush and stop over-working. I will take the time to catch a snowflake on my nose, sit on a dock and let my feet rest in the water, make sure my friends and family know I love them and they are important to me.
I am asking all of us to take the time to see what matters in our life and the lives of others.
I am betting we all know a friend or family member going through a hard time with health. Our life on this earth is short, and it’s hard at times. We get that job that won’t go right or that homeowner we don’t want to see or talk to in the morning. I am asking all of us to take the time to see what matters in our life and the lives of others. I am asking we make sure we understand that we are more than a wood floor and that we must make time for ourselves, family and very dear friends.
Truth: I am not sure how to end this blog, or how to express the need for all of us to stop and enjoy the time we have with family and friends. For me it’s about saying a pray for my dear friend Eddie Jones. If you have a friend or family member who needs a few prayers, please leave a request in the comments and I will say a prayer for them as well.
God bless our new year and God bless those that need us to stop and say a prayer for them. Take the time to pray with your loved ones. Like I said, I have stopped and started over a few times with this blog. It’s not the normal for most blogs, but it’s what was on heart and mind.
