Thank You, Mom.

In life, there are times we have deep regrets (or lack thereof) over actions we can no longer fix, but there are also times when we feel deep gratitude, satisfaction, and relief over the past. Recently, I experienced the latter.

At the time of writing this, my mother passed away a few weeks ago, on Feb. 27. The last few months have been full of many great days and some very tough days, but in many ways, it was still unexpected.

She'd been the caretaker for my dad for the past few years. I've mentioned in past newsletters that she's an extremely hard worker and was very resourceful. Whether it was help for my dad or work around the house, she wanted to do it all herself, and she would rarely ask for help. My mom was so selfless and always made sacrifices to help others, especially for those less fortunate.

Luckily, my workplace is very close to my parents' home. I'd drive over and visit them nearly every day, trying to get as much work off my mom's plate as I could. I'd always say to her, "Mom, we can get caregivers. You don't have to push yourself."

"Go to work," she'd urge me. "Focus on your business and your family."

She was so stubborn! But my mom was also incredibly tough and would seemingly always spring back. She seemed to have an endless supply of energy — it would always surprise me how much she would get done in one day. It was shocking when we discovered she required a procedure to help with her back. She underwent surgery; however, in the healing process, she had some setbacks. During her last hospital stay, because of all the new restrictions with allowing visitors, we brought Mom back home.

At first, my siblings and I felt beside ourselves, not knowing what to do. Family was always important to her, and she'd always be the one getting the family together. If it weren't for her, we thought we wouldn't have as many gatherings throughout the year.

My dad's birthday is on Feb. 28, and since we knew time was short, we decided to host his 97th birthday party a day earlier. Everyone got together and we had a nice celebration with the entire family.

It was a great final family memory, just like what my mom always wanted. She passed peacefully that same day, not long after we all sang “Happy Birthday” to my dad. It's like she knew it was a happy day of celebration and she didn't want to pass the next day on my dad's actual birthday. I feel that's exactly what my mom wanted, so I am very happy for her.

Although I've lost my mom, I've learned that I'll never regret my deeply close relationship with my parents. I can't express the tremendous relief I feel knowing that I was always available for them and told my mom where I stood about wanting to help her. I know she worried about me wanting to look after her and taking time away from my work, but just like how my mom made sacrifices for others, it never bothered me. Though, after she passed, I think she'd be proud to know she's empowered me to work harder than ever. I begin each day remembering that my mom's wish is for me to focus on my work and family. I thank her every day for inspiring me to keep motivated to begin what I feel is a new positive chapter in my life and business.

Ultimately, though, I think living without regrets is a lot easier to do with the right people in your life. My wife and kids have always been so supportive of my time with my parents and so have a great number of my customers. I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me through all the ups and downs of these past few months. It's meant a lot to me and helped me get through many tough days.

Thank you so much for reading. We'll talk again soon.