What I am reflecting?
The Notice That Saved My Dad’s Life
Welcome again to Manifested Friday.
Last Sunday was just like any other Sunday.
Except that last Sunday, I got a call from my mom saying that my dad was in the hospital. He felt pain in his chest, and honestly, I didn’t know how to react at that time.
A sense of worry rushed over me because of my need to have my dad with me in this life. And I know it isn’t easy.
I let go of whatever I was doing and rushed to the hospital to check on how my dad was doing.
Due to the tight policy in the hospital, I was only allowed to spend five minutes with him. I brought some clothes for him and then had to leave him there.
I saw him still okay. Still laughing.
But as I was leaving the hospital, deep inside me, I was asking myself…
Would this be the last time I ever see his face?
That was when I found out that my dad had a heart attack.
And this is just a quick sharing of what went through my mind.
One important thing I want to say is that I really felt blessed that, on that Sunday, all the stars aligned.
My dad managed to steal back a life.
He managed to keep himself alive to spend more time with me and the family.
I’m blessed because a few weeks before this incident, he actually noticed a note in the hospital. The first line said something like:
If you ever have chest pain, don’t do anything else. Go straight to the emergency department.
And that is exactly what he did on that Sunday.
He remembered the notice he saw in the hospital and rushed to the emergency department.
That saved his life.
Because in the old days, he might have just shaken it off. He might have put some ointment on himself and waited to get better.
But this time, he saw the notice.
And he acted.
I’m also blessed that I have met many great friends in my life. One of my long-time school friends is a cardiologist.
The first thing that came to my mind was to pick up my phone and call him.
I told him, “I need help. My dad had a heart attack.”
And he straight away asked me to bring my dad to the hospital, and he would help him.
I’m glad that I managed to build a relationship with this friend and that, when I needed help, he was there.
My dad was saved with the help of my friend.
During that time in the hospital, I spent some time talking to my dad.
I remember very vividly what he said to me.
“I’m not afraid to die. I’ve done everything and planned everything out, so I’m ready to die.”
I paused for a while.
And I told him:
“I am afraid.
When you die, we are the ones who suffer.
Would you help to do your best, work hard, and take good care of yourself for us?”
Those were the words I said to him.
All in all, I’m just glad that he is out of the hospital right now.
He is smiling.
And I have the opportunity to see him smile again.
I even have the opportunity to continue being annoyed by him. 😄
And I’m grateful for that.
On that day, there are a few things that I want to relate to and see how they land on you.
The first one is about that notice in the hospital.
Remember, I was blessed that someone put up that notice telling people that if they experience chest pain, they should rush to the emergency department immediately.
That reflects something about what we do in life.
Sometimes, you feel that the things you do are not being appreciated.
You’re not sure whether you’re doing the right thing.
You’re not sure whether what you’re doing will bring value to people.
But you know what?
You do your best.
You keep showing up despite the doubt that it might not be seen.
Because deep inside, you know that it’s the right thing to do.
Therefore, as long as you believe it’s the right thing to do, continue doing the right thing.
You never know who might be impacted by what you do.
The second thing I think about is that sometimes, I’m afraid that the people I love will leave me.
And yet, this reminds me to cherish the moment.
To take good care of myself.
To really put in the hard work and do things right for the people who love me.
I hope that if you’re reading this, you’re obviously someone I care about, and someone who cares about me.
So please…
Do work hard.
Take good care of yourself.
Because I hope we can continue to have a good connection for a long, long time.
Thank you for being part of my life.
Thank you.
I love you.
Quote I’m pondering
“Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens: then you will be happy.” – Epictetus
Affirmation I used
I love myself and I approve of myself.