Treehouses, Life, Love and Lost Friends |
Unfortunately, it can often take a traumatic event to make you appreciate your life - or to realise how lucky you already are. Too often we spend our time worrying about the bigger picture. We waste precious years wanting more and more. We focus on the future and dwell in the past and then, as a consequence, forget to enjoy the present.
Last week Paul Cameron was reminded just how fragile life really is and why it is so important to spend our lives doing what we enjoy and surround ourselves with those that we love.
The previous week Paul had attended the regular BNI (a networking and referrals group) breakfast business meeting to deliver a 10-minute presentation on the ins-and-outs of Treehouse Life. As was customary of each 10-minute presenter, he was expected to take along a 'door prize' related to his business, which was then to be given out to someone worthy of excellent work within the group.
On the day of the talk however, with 1001 treehouse design ideas preoccupying his thoughts, Paul completely forgot to take along his 'door prize'. So, to make up for his forgetfulness, the following week when setting off to next breakfast meeting, he decided to take one of Treehouse Life's signature 3-sided rope ladders with him to give out. There was no particular reason for this choice, except perhaps that a rope ladder was one of the few Treehouse Life accessories that would actually fit into the boot of his car.
That weeks meeting however brought with it some tragic news - the recent death of a BNI member and one of Paul's closest friends and business colleagues. A successful business owner with a wife and young family, he had gone out for his usual Saturday morning jog, suffered a massive heart attack and never come back.
Terrible things do of course happen to people everyday, but when tragedy strikes a friend - especially one who is the same age and incredibly fit, active and healthy - it can come as a real wake up call to the fickleness of life and the fragility of your own existence. Of course the news of his death led to many tears, speeches and personal devoted words from those members attending the meeting, and a minutes silence was held to honour a wonderful and much loved man.
Coincidentally, it was the usual task of this particular member to choose and present the 'door prize' each week. So on this occasion, it was decided that last week's forgotten prize - the 3-sided rope ladder - would instead be given to his children, as a token gift from all of his friends and business colleagues at BNI.
When deciding what to bring as the weeks 'door gift', Paul had initially chosen the rope ladder for its size and convenience for transporting. Now, however, it had turned into an incredibly fitting and heartfelt gesture to the children of one of his dearest friends. For not only did the ladder offer a little joy in an otherwise sad time, it also represented the success that their father had achieved throughout his own life and gave his children a chance to remember all the fun and laughter he had shared in theirs.
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