"Dad, will you come here? I think Band-Aid's dead!"
Last week we had a death in the family. My daughter Kelli said these words as she went to feed our Beta fish Band-Aid. I took a keen look, shook and tapped the fish bowl several times, and then made the reluctant call. At 9:07 pm on May 7, Band-Aid Weedin was dead. Not nearly as catastrophic as our dog passing away, but still a sad time, especially for Kelli who had adopted this fish from the Athletic Medicine program at the high school.
Kelli didn't want to flush him down the toilet right away. After all, her boyfriend needed to say goodbye. Great! Now we have a dead fish in the bowl for another day. We shut off its light and went to bed.
Well, one day turned into two and I was getting impatient. I was tired of looking at a dark tank and a dead fish. The time had come for "closure". My wife Barb asked me, "Are you sure he's dead?"
"Of course I am. Don't you think I know a dead fish when I see one? We all checked. He's dead."
Then Barb asked the question that made me bristle. "Are you sure?"
"Yes! And we 'bury' him tonight."
Mark Twain once said, "The report of my death was greatly exaggerated." Band-Aid must have felt the same way. That evening when I walked upstairs, there he was swimming around. What's worse was that Barb was standing right next to the tank, with that smug look reserved for us husbands who think we know it all.
Do you have a dream, project, book, family vacation, or some type goal that you have left for dead? I know I do. I've been talking about writing my book for months. I've even hired someone to coach me on publishing. I've made some headway but now the project has stalled. No excuses, but reality. Band-Aid has now inspired me.
Band-Aid hung around a cold, dark, and cloudy tank for two days. No food, no nothing. Turns out he was "defragging" as my dad says. His miraculous revival has led me to re-visit my "dead" dream. If Band-Aid can make it back, so can my book project. And, it starts today!
What about you? What dream or project can you resurrect? Is it improving your speaking skills with additional education? Maybe you're writing your own book? Have you been meaning to start your own business?
We all get busy in the day to day of family, work, and life. Unfortunately, it's sometimes at the expense of something we really want to do. I challenge you to find that dream and start back fresh on it today.
You'll feel like a new fish!
Do You Dress for Success?
