Today is an unusual day — well, if you embrace the Gregorian calendar, which most of us do today, especially in the Western World. Today is the 8th of August, 2008. We indicated it with 8/8/8 and the multiple 8s mean some interesting things to many people.
For the Chinese, the number 8 holds a special significance. They believe that it means good fortune coming or prosperity. In Hong Kong I remember hearing about some who would pay extra to have the number 8 on their license plates. They believe in luck in China — a lot. So, today is a particularly “lucky” day for many Chinese.
For me, this is an especially significant day. No, not because I believe in numerology or “luck.” If you know me well, you know that I believe in the old saying that the harder you work, the luckier you get. However, today is especially significant for me as my father turns 80. Charles Brock was born August 8, 1928. Today, he begins a new decade and reaches a momentous milestone in life — 80 on 08 08 08.
However, Dad won’t be aware of it. He is suffering from the terrible mind-sapping disease we call Alzheimer’s. Dad is legally and medically alive. Bring in the lawyers. Bring in the medical doctors and they will attest — quite accurately — that my father is still alive. However, bring in the psychologists, the psychiatrists and yes, the philosophers, and they might have a different take.
Perhaps Dad is cognizant of something going on around him in some small way. I like to think that when I visit him. I visited him just a few days ago. During that time, once again, he did not acknowledge my presence or give any indication that he knew I was there. Yes, it hurts — even though the realization of his condition has been accepted by my own cognitive abilities. My heart still longs to believe that he is somehow, somewhere in there aware of my love for him and sending him best wishes.
Dad has largely lived his own life. He did a lot of good. No, he wasn’t perfect and, like in many families, there are the less-than-pleasant memories. However, I choose to embrace the good and wish him abundance and yes, prosperity, on this 08 08 08.
Your situation is unique to you and your family. You might have a family member or close friend who is undergoing Alzheimer’s. If so I wish you both peace and understanding in the midst of this. If you have family whom you haven’t seen or connected with in a while, why not use today, maybe this weekend, to reach out and send an extra dose of love? Can’t hurt anything!
And I wish you, dear reader, a special, abundance day today. Wherever you are. Whenever you read this (even after this momentous 08 08 08 day), I hope you have a particularly good, abundance-generating day. Share that love, laughter and joy with others. Yes, go out and create monetary abundance for yourself and others. After all, the free market is all about abundance and helping people everywhere to increase their living (see Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations for a much more eloquent and descriptive explanation than I can do here).
May today be a special day for you and bring you lots of happiness, success and much prosperity. And Dad, if you are remotely aware of any of this through some means that we can’t understand, thank you! Happy Birthday, Dad. May you have continued prosperity and abundance however, that would apply to you now.
Terry
