Living in the extra-inning

I was supposed to post this article last Sunday, but I kept turning it over and over again, and here it's. Better late than never.

For days I'd wanted to write about one of the best lessons my father left me. I'm not one of those people who easily express their deepest feelings, much less on social networks or public platforms on the Internet. But perhaps because last Sunday was Father's Day or because a few days ago it would have been my father's birthday. For days I wanted to write a few lines about my dad and especially the most valuable thing he left me.

The most valuable thing my father taught me was to love being alive. And to see each day as a new opportunity. I can proudly say that my father was always a good man. But his way of seeing life wasn't the result of chance. But lessons learned from his own experiences in life. My father suffered a massive heart attack when he was 39 years old. Back then, I was only 11 years old. He survived because he was already at the hospital when he suffered it. My father's heart stopped beating, and he had to be reanimated twice. For him, it was a hard wake-up call.

Things in my house changed dramatically overnight. Not in only financial terms. At that time, my father didn't have and insurance. And all his savings went away while he was in the hospital. Of course, he had to change his lifestyle, quit smoking, began exercising and eating healthier. Bust most of all, his priorities in life, if they had ever been blurred, suddenly became very clear. Enjoying life and spend time with his family were always the top 1 on his list. He worked, and we never lacked anything at home. But he worked to live comfortably, and he didn't live to work and make money.

My dad could enjoy dinner in a fancy restaurant as eating a hot dog on the street. A simple walk down the park or a sightseeing road trip. A cup of wine or a glass of water. A rainy morning or a sunny day. A dance or a chat. But what he always enjoyed the most was being with his loved ones.

His good vibes reached to those who knew him. A few months ago, I spoke on the phone with one of my school's friends, with whom I hadn't been in touch for so long. Because of things that happen in life, we ​​had lost contact many years ago. Despite when we were girls and young, we were very close. She used to share a lot with my family. And often joined me on holidays to go to a house near the sea that my grandparents had at the beach. And she called me out of the blue a few months ago because she was cooking a chicken salad with celery. My dad used to say that a good chicken salad should always have celery. She told me she was calling because she was thinking of my dad. That every time she made a chicken salad, she always adds celery to it as my dad. And told me that she was going through some hard times with her husband's health. But when she remembered how much my dad used to love life and enjoyed every single moment. She just felt better and encouraged. I cannot say how touching this was for me. Knowing that not only he had been taught me to see that life was beautiful and had to be lived accordingly. But to my friend as well. That's a great joy.

He used to say of himself that he was a survivor. And that he was already living in overtime if we compared life to a sports contest. My dad had a full and happy life.

He taught me to love life. And when for some reason, adversity makes me stray a little from the path. In those days, a little voice in my head tells me. Hey, this could be the last one. Do you want to live it like this?

Many times we don't enjoy the present in our eagerness to plan for tomorrow. But the truth is that the only thing we have for sure is today, the moment we are living.

I'm so grateful for the extra-inning that life gave him that allowed us to enjoy him and learn from him for many more years. And I only regret, my son wasn't able to have memories from him since he was only two years old when my father passed.

Some final notes about the lovely pics

All the images of this post are from my father's favorite place in the world. A small house in the Andean mountains in Venezuela, he had together with his brothers. It was the place where he once dreamed of retiring. And although he could never fulfill his dream. He did enjoy it and the mountains that surrounded it whenever he got the chance. It was a family meeting place for holidays. Mainly for the bad circumstances of the country in the last years, we haven't gone back so often there since my father passed. But it will always be a special place for me, full of fond and cherish memories.

So enjoy each day as if it were your last. Be happy and optimistic even in adversity. In life, the best can always be yet to come. If life gives you an extra-inning, live it well.

Anyway, If you have reached this point, thank you so much for reading me. If you like it, a comment or thumb will be highly appreciated as well.

To all my sponsors, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You rock. I don't tag you to don't take the Michael with me. Hehe. I just needed to say this. I'm just learning some London cockney slang from @TengoLoTodo. Sorry, I just tagged you. ;)

All images are mine.

And if you are in Noise, you'll find me as CoquiCoin as well. And if you aren't, what are you waiting for. ;)