Wootness™ is…waking up tomorrow

I was in the middle of writing this article about 6 hours ago, when I got a phone call that my 26-year-old son had collapsed at work. The squad had been called, and because the heart monitor showed an abnormality that indicated he was in the middle of having a heart attack, he was transported to a trauma emergency center about 25 miles north.

As I hit the highway, I was worried. No – I was scared to death. And I was kicking myself that I hadn’t talked to him since I saw him at his grandmother’s calling hours 2 weeks ago. Life had gotten in the way and I was attending to my own details and didn’t go out of my way to stay in contact like we had in the past.

As the morning progressed, a heart attack was ruled out and eventually the doctors concluded that too little sleep, not enough food, and not enough fluids has caused his body to rebel.

I dropped him off at home with a hug and a firm lecture to take better care of himself. The 3:30 AM video games and trying to work on 2 hours of sleep and no breakfast needed to stop.

As I drove away, I reflected on the hypocrisy that had just crossed my lips.

I am the one who gets up at 5 AM to start working and generally does not shut it down until midnight. I am the one who will only eat when a plate is placed in front of me. I am the one whose liquid intake consists of 95% coffee and only ingests water when taking ibuprofen. Where do I get off lecturing someone else on taking care of themselves?

Talk about a wake-up call.

So – today’s Wootness™ is that I learned a very important lesson, without losing someone close to me or causing my loved ones any pain. Yes, there were some VERY tense moments all around today, but we emerged unscathed. Next time we might not be so lucky. Here’s hoping there isn’t a next time.

Ladies (and gents), take care of yourselves. Photography may be a passion, but it isn’t your life. Truly. It isn’t. Don’t let your last hours on earth be ones you spent in front of a computer. Let them be ones you spent talking on the phone with someone you care about or just sitting quietly beside your spouse on the couch. Tell everyone you love that you do. Call your children. Call your parents.  Pull over and watch the sunset without dragging out the camera.

And when you wake up tomorrow, do it all over again.