Make sure you've got clean underpants on

I don't know where this originated...maybe Bill Cosby or someone like that.

But my mom advised us kids on this repeatedly growing up.

In general...this is really good advice. It first says: "You better be wearin' freakin' underpants." Then it says: "And they better be clean."

I think mom had concerns that having dirty underpants on in the case of a car accident or something would reflect poorly on her work as a mother. The irony is that if you're about ready to get in a car wreck, chances are, clean underpants probably aren't clean anymore.

Nonetheless, it was perhaps part two of the golden rule growing up. Do unto others...and while doing, you better have clean freakin' underpants on!

It's no surprise then, that six years ago today, my mom came and got me out of bed saying something was wrong. I came downstairs thinking my dog Shadow was sick or something. But far worse, it was my dad. He was having a massive heart attack. My mom was on the phone with the EMT. She gave me the phone and began compressions. I cleared a path from the front door to the bed room for the bed/stretcher. Then mom took the phone back and gave me the responsibility of CPR. So as I'm beating on my dad's chest to get a heart beat and breathing into his mouth, I remember like it was yesterday, in the midst of the chaos and adrenaline, I look to see my mom taking a second to change my dad's underpants. It was so brief (pun intended) and the moment was so urgent that I think it may have been a day or two later as we were grieving that I recalled the moment and asked my mom if I was remembering right. "Do I remember correctly, did you change dad's underwear?"

Sure enough.

Its one thing to say wise things. Its another to live them out.

Here's to my dad, who selflessly worked his butt off for his family and never missed a game. And here's to clean underpants. :-)