During the last few years of his life my Dad lived just up the road from me in a tiny home that used to belong to my Nana. He had been a widower for over 20 years by then losing my Mom when she was only 55 years old. His Mom, my Nana had recently passed away too. He was disabled and retired so he spent a lot of time alone.

Several times a week, though, I would take a walk up to his house. We would sit in the living room or on the front porch, sip tea and talk. It wasn’t anything major. We talked sports, cars, gardening, weather, and occasionally enjoyed a laugh over old memories. It wasn’t anything too deep. It was just a simple sharing, a connection between a father and a son, an hour spent just enjoying each other’s company. Those afternoons remain some of my happiest times spent with my Dad. It allowed us to gently heal any old wounds we had given each other when I was growing up. It allowed us to silently give each other the time and love we hadn’t before. It allowed us to grow closer together before he left this world. And I thank God for that time.

I know too that when my own time in this world is done, when my own mission on Earth is finished I will get to spend another afternoon with Dad. We will sit, talk, catch up, and quietly enjoy each other’s company. We will share all the love and wisdom we didn’t get to share while we were here. And we will make that afternoon last an eternity.

If there is one thing that I learned from those afternoons I spent with my Dad during the last years of his life, it is this: It is never too late to spent time with those you love. It is never too late to tell them that you love them. It is never too late to heal a relationship and mend a hurting heart. It doesn’t matter if they are here or in Heaven. Because Love conquers even death. Begin today then! Spend an afternoon with those you love and those afternoons will become a lifetime.