Life is Unexpected

On Thanksgiving we all received the news that Mr. Karagias passed away suddenly. A heart attack. He had just been playing football with his son and co-workers. He probably woke up that morning thinking he would enjoy a nice Turkey dinner with family. Instead his life was cut short just like so many others in our lives. Now he is above somewhere with Mr. Rising and Mr. Pernicario. Maybe playing golf.

I had a conversation with Kaitlyn and we both agreed we are way too young to be losing our parents. This is not how it is supposed to be. But I guess it is also a wake up call. To be grateful for everything you have in life and to cherish the good times. I know that life is unexpected and that things happen for a reason, but I guess sometimes it scares me to think that one day I will have to deal with what I haven't had to for a long time. So I will continue to be thankful for those in my life and try never to take them for granted.

Before attending the wake today for Mr. Karagias, I pulled out the remarks Eric Schneider spoke at Mr. Rising's funeral just three years ago this month. He wrote,

"Donnie doesn't leave us questioning ourselves about his death, he lived a life that inspires us to analyze our own. Perhaps the greatest characteristic of a coach is that a true coach never stops coaching. A true coach never ceases to affect the hearts, minds, and the lives he's touched. It is in that spirit that we are challenged to reflect on how we've lived our lives and how we will live them from this day forth. Today, Donnie asks us...
Who will you coach today?
Who will you stand up for?
Who will you blindly put your faith into?
How much patience will you have with others?
Who will you set an example for?
Coach Don Rising is obviously happy up in Heaven. They don't miss free throws in Heaven. And they have their own gym. But D. R.'s quick and sudden passing reminds us all that our time is ticking as well. And we're reminded that we have just one shot at winning this game and we'd better make it count. We must spend the time we have left answering the questions that Donnie puts before us today and turn those answers into actions. Mr. Rising believes we can do it because he has just as much fatih in us as he had before. Normally in this situation, with the game on the line, D.R. would hand us the ball and tell us to do our best. Normally in this situation he would be screaming up and down the sideline cheering us on. But this time, he's rooting us on from above. And this time, Coach Don Rising hasn't handed us the ball - he's handed us the whistle."


I will continue to try my best to be a better person and make sure I give all I can in this life I have been given.