To my beloved children:

There is one thing in life that is 100% certain…all people have a date with death and there is no escaping it. We all live and one day we die. And while there is not much we can do about our birth date and our death date, there is much we can do with each date in between.

Your life and my life is a precious gift from God and the way we live our life is our unique precious gift back to Him and others. No one can live your life, but you, which is why it is unique.  And it is precious because each day only comes once and once it is gone, it is gone forever. With that in mind, let me encourage you to make each precious day count to the fullest for yourself and for others by living your life well. And let me caution you…if you don’t have a plan for your life, then someone else will and you may very well end up living their life rather than your own.

So, to help you make a good plan and live your life well, I encourage you to ask yourself these 3 great questions:

  1. How do you want to be remembered in life by your family and friends?
  2. What are your gifts and talents that can make a real difference in life?
  3. Who are your wise trusted advisors in life?

A good and wise friend once told me that every 7 years we experience a new season in life. As I look back upon my life, I can see that it is true. Furthermore, I also now know that in each season, it is easy to look ahead to the next season and miss the opportunities to fully enjoy the current season. Please don’t let that happen to you. Famous cartoonist, Bil Keane, has written, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift from God which is why we call it the present.” So enjoy each day as an incredible present and make it count each day!

With God’s grace, you’ve got this and you can do it!!

Your imperfect loving,

Dad

Make It Count Copyright 2016, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the letter, Make It Count, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.