Appreciating Every (Extra) Day

From the day he was 80 years old, every time I saw my dad he would say something like, “I’m enjoying every extra day.”

Since he lived to be almost 105, Dad enjoyed a lot of “extra” days.

In fact, I know for sure that he lived almost 25 years longer than he should have, directly because of his frugality.

Early in 1999 Dad signed up to travel with a tour group flying from Los Angeles to Cairo via EgyptAir.  The flight was scheduled for October.

A month before the trip my dad cancelled because he didn’t want to pay the high supplement cost charged for a person travelling single.  He made other arrangements, and that turned out to be a key decision.

On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 217 of the passengers and crew on board.  Had he not cancelled, Dad would have been on that flight, and the death toll would have been 218.

This “close call” was a continuing reminder to him that he should appreciate every single day.

Benjamin Franklin once wrote about the permanency of our Constitution, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

I heartily agree.  As for taxes, I discovered when I was young that the highest income tax rate was 91%.  Ouch!  That was certainly a force to be reckoned with.  But of more immediate interest to my 7-year-old self was the 3% sales tax that was added to the cost of every kite I bought.  When is a price not the full price?  Whenever a tax applied, which seemed to be virtually every time.

Now, I share my father’s goal of appreciating every extra day. Accordingly, I always try to find a way to enjoy whatever it is I’m doing.  A wedding?  No problem.  I like the food (if not having to dress up for the occasion).  A vacation?  Of course.  Who doesn’t like the pleasant change from sitting at a desk.  A USC football game?  Well, my enjoyment there depends upon the final score.

But, like my dad, I believe that every new day is a bonus, and I am going to continue to do my very best to revel in each and every one.

Alan