Reece Gardner: Being thankful today

Today I want to start my column with humor rather than end with it, for pretty obvious reasons. Three buddies are out driving around in a sports car. They are all having fun until the driver loses control and slams the car into a tree, killing all three of them instantly.

Sometime later they find themselves at an orientation prior to entering into Heaven. They are all asked, "When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?"

The first guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor and a great family man."

The second guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband and a great schoolteacher."

The last guy replies, "I would just like to hear them say, "LOOK! He's moving!"

Words of wisdom: "Life is an echo; what you send out comes back."

And since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, let's vow to send out messages of thanksgiving. I will be honored and blessed to spend some time with my beautiful children, Jessica & Reece, and memories of Jason, along with spouses Bob, Lisa, and Christie, and three of our precious grandchildren, Rachel, Tessa, and Little Emma.

Let's be thankful for what we have TODAY and let's show our loved ones NOW how much we love and appreciate them. To quote Tillman King, "If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep, I'd hold you very close and pray the Lord your soul to keep. If I knew that it would be the last time that I'd see you walk out the door, I'd give you a special hug and say 'I love you' just once more."

So hold your loved ones close today and tell them that you care. Tell them that you love them and always want them near. Take time to say, "I'm sorry," "Please forgive me," or "It's OK." Then, if tomorrow never comes, there'll be no regrets today. When I wrote my column last year on Thanksgiving Eve, my Emma was very sick and, as it turned out, only had a couple of weeks left on this Earth.

I want to repeat now the words I directed toward her during that sad time:

"Should you go first and I remain to walk this road alone, I'll live in Memory's Garden with happy days we've known. In Spring I'll wait for roses red, when fades the lilac's bloom, and in early Fall when golden leaves fall, I'll catch a glimpse of you.

Should you go first and I remain for battles to be fought, each thing you've touched along the way will be a hallowed spot. I'll hear your voice, I'll see your smile, though blindly I may grope, the memory of your helping hand will fill my heart with hope.

Beyond the sunset, oh BLISSFUL MORNING, when with our Savior, Heaven has begun, Earth's toiling ended, with Glory dawning, Beyond the Sunset, when day is done." I miss you more than words can tell!