It was a bright Wednesday morning in June of 2008. I had gotten to work early to prepare for the day's activities at the jail. My partner and I were to transport nine prisoners to a transfer facility in Oklahoma City, four and a half hours away. It was 7:30 in the morning and we were almost ready to leave. My phone rang. Without question the worst call of my life. My mother had passed out and was being rushed by ambulance to a hospital. Ten minutes later she flat lined for the first of three times in the ER. Before I realized it, I was on my way home to prepare for a far different trip than I had thought I would be taking that day. Jellico, Tennessee, was about 15 hours away and I was headed there.
The whole way there I kept thinking about something that has bothered me ever since: Why did I put off calling? On Monday I had said I was going to call mama...but I didn't. I got busy. On Tuesday I was going to call for sure...but I got busy again and didn't call. I was absolutely going to call mama on Wednesday. During the transport would be a great time to call. But you know how that went.
Mom died on Saturday morning without ever regaining consciousness. I never got to make that call. I was "too busy". I was too freaking busy. I missed my last opportunity to hear my mama's voice one more time. Now...now I would give anything to hear it one more time, but it is too late. That haunts me. It sometimes consumes my mind until I just have to force it out.
Do you have a mama? A daddy? A close friend? Anyone? Do you need to stop being "too busy" and call someone who means the world to you? Do it NOW! You never know when "too busy" will pass into "too late".
I missed my opportunity. Don't miss yours.