[00:08.95]In a class I teach for adults, I gave the class homework.
[00:13.55]The assignment was to go to someone you love and tell them you love them.
[00:18.47]It doesn’t sound like a very tough assignment,
[00:21.64]until you realize that most of the men were over 35
[00:25.36]and were raised in the generation of men
[00:27.99]that were taught that expressing emotions is not“macho”.
[00:32.26]At the beginning of our next class,
[00:35.86]I asked if someone wanted to share his experience.
[00:39.15]A man raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.
[00:44.62]He began,“Dennis, I was quite angry with you last week
[00:50.86]when you gave us this assignment.
[00:52.50]I didn’t feel that I had anyone to say those words to.
[00:56.00]But as I was driving home my conscience started talking to me.
[01:00.92]It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say‘I love you’to.
[01:05.84]You see, five years ago,
[01:10.07]my father and I had a serious disagreement and never resolved it since that time.
[01:15.22]We avoided seeing each other
[01:17.72]unless we had to be at Christmas or other family gatherings.
[01:21.38]So last Tuesday by the time I got home
[01:24.73]I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him.”
[01:29.07]“It’s weird, but just making that decision
[01:33.09]seemed to lift a heavy load off my chest.”
[01:35.83]“The next day at 5.30 p.m., I was at my parents’house ringing the doorbell.
[01:41.65]It was Dad who answered the door.”
[01:44.80]“I didn’t waste any time—I took one step in the door and said,
[01:50.51]‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.’”
[01:54.43]“It was as if a transformation came over my dad.
[01:58.36]Before my eyes his face softened,
[02:01.39]the wrinkles seemed to disappear and he began to cry.
[02:05.04]He reached and hugged me and said,‘I love you too, son,
[02:09.85]but I’ve never been able to say it.’”
[02:12.15]“It was such a precious moment.”
[02:14.34]“But that’s not even my point.
[02:17.51]Two days after that visit,
[02:20.33]my dad had a heart attack and ended up in hospital, unconscious.
[02:24.95]I don’t know if he’ll make it.”
[02:27.46]“So my message to all of you in this class is this:
[02:31.18]Don’t wait to do the things you know need to be done.
[02:35.23]What if I had waited to tell my dad—maybe I will never get the chance again!
[02:40.38]Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!”
