Recently, I was in Chicago on a business appointment, selling baby wipes to the buyer, someone who I have known for 14 years. He was not himself in this meeting. Generally, this type of appointment would be filled with the passion of negotiating a multi-million dollar program. As I steered the meeting toward clarity and resolve, I noticed the buyer continually smelling a sample of the baby wipes. He was engaged in the discussion, but there was an intensity of peace about him, as he drew the fragrance of the baby wipe into his airway. He was not just sampling the fragrance; he was drawn into the fragrance, as if it were a living thing that was touching his heart.
 
         
I was the only one in the meeting who noticed the extraordinary occurrence, as I was the only one who knew the buyer so well. He was in the middle of a heartfelt experience with the fragrance of a baby wipe. I knew exactly what was going on in his mind. You see, the buyers’ daughter had given birth to twin baby boys just a couple months before and he’d been traveling to his daughter’s home in another state almost every weekend to see his grandchildren. He and I had discussed it previously, and I knew how special these baby boys were to him. Later, he explained that he had given notice and was leaving his job. He was moving back home, a state he had not lived in for over ten years because he wanted to spend the rest of his days with his grandchildren and his daughter. He has no job awaiting him there, and he has no idea what he will do for work when he gets there. He only knows that home is where his daughter and two new grandchildren are, and he must be there to love them and experience every moment of their lives that he can.
 
This man is not retiring; he is not even sixty years old. He has simply reached a point in his life that he fully understands love and it has given him the passion to overcome any amount of fear. He has thrown caution to the wind, and any power that the corporate world had over him. He is walking away from a very strong six-figure income to live his life with the passion of love, rather than the constant fear that exists when living in a corporate environment. As you continue through this Holiday Season, reflect upon what is truly important in this world; family. Not just your family, but recognize that every other person in our community, in our world, has a family that they love and they are loved by. There are going to be office parties. There will be nights out celebrating the Season, annual results, and simply partying with friends. When you are involved in these celebrations, think about your family. Think about the family of others. Realize that most everything we do in our lives is for our families, our children, our spouse, and our friends; and focus on that when making the decision of having just one more drink, or choosing to drink and drive. It is enjoyable to spend quality time with friends and family and have a few cocktails while doing so. This is a popular activity and no one should judge another for doing so, as long as it is safe and remains enjoyable and festive.
 
We must all hold ourselves accountable for our actions; which includes the decisions we make while and after consuming alcohol. Every year in the United States, depending on whose statistics you look at, between 13,000 and 17,000 Americans die at the hands of a drunk driver. Those family members and friends who survive the loss of their loved one are never the same after their loss. Their lives are changed forever, never to proceed through another day absent of grief and pain. Each one person that is killed by a drunk driver creates a wake of grief across hundreds of family members and friends. This results in millions of lives changed and crushed with grief from the actions and decisions of drunk drivers, every year. As you go out into the Holiday Season this year, please think of how special every life is. Please think of the possible result of driving drunk and how it could affect you, your family, and the families of others. Please plan ahead to either not drive after consuming alcohol, or to not drink if you are going to need to drive. I ask this of you from a perspective that I hope no one ever has to come to understand; the perspective of losing a loved one. Please have a Safe and Happy Holiday by living your life from a position of love.