I was in NY last weekend.  On Sunday, my sister and I headed out to my father’s house for her birthday.  I have to say that it was the first time in about 6 years that I felt like my father was genuinely happy to be spending the day with BOTH his girls.  And it wasn’t so much of what he said, but his behavior… the big smiles, the little reasons he kept giving us to stay longer, etc.  It was the first time for me in 6 years that I felt completely at peace around him.  It was one of those days I kept wishing wouldn’t end.  I wanted to stay in that moment forever.  But I guess that’s the irony of life.  It is only when we first recognize the fleetingness of time that we can fully appreciate the present moment…. It is only when we first acknowledge our own mortality that we can completely appreciate the life given us.