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<p>It was the day before Mother&#8217;s Day in 1968.</p><p>It was to be a normal day. I was getting ready for baseball practice. My dad was at work. The night before we had visited my mom in the hospital, where for the past several years she had spent a lot of time.</p><p>As I was walking out the door, the telephone rang. I ran back in and answered.</p><p>&#8220;May I speak to Mr. O&#8217;Boyle,&#8221; a man&#8217;s voice asked on the other end.</p><p>I told the caller my dad was at work, could I take a message.</p><p>&#8220;Is this his son?&#8221; he asked, and I answered in the affirmative.</p><p>&#8220;This is Dr. Stuccio at Wyoming Valley Hospital,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry, but your mother has expired.&#8221;</p><p>I honestly didn&#8217;t know what that meant, so I asked him to explain.</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;re mother died this morning. I&#8217;m very sorry,&#8221; he said.</p><p>It hit me like a ton of bricks. I dropped the phone and ran across Reynolds Street to Kraynack&#8217;s house where Ecky and Mrs. K were having breakfast in their kitchen. I told them about the phone call &#8212; about my mom dying. They consoled me and called my dad at work.</p><p>I will never forget seeing my dad as he got out of his car. He was an emotional wreck. I had never seen him cry before. We were both distraught. The reality of what we probably knew would eventually happen, had begun to set in.</p><p>We went into our home, which suddenly had seemed to already be missing something &#8212; someone &#8212; and we cried.</p><p>On this day before Mother&#8217;s Day in 1968, our world had come crashing down. For whatever reasons, our lives were changed forever. On this day that was to be just another typical day in our lives &#8212; dad at work, me at baseball practice, together visiting mom later &#8212; had become the day that would change our lives forever.</p><p>All of our days before were gone now.</p><p>My mom was 42 years old when she died. My dad was 45. I was 17. This was a young family with many more memories to make. And now, it was all gone &#8212; forever.</p><p>This was the year I was graduating high school. My life was ahead of me. My parents would be there to guide me; to help me make decisions.</p><p>And as I traveled through life, I would be there for them. To run errands, to help around the house, to do, well, whatever they asked. The years ahead were to be plenty and they were to be filled with family things, just like we always had up until this day.</p><p>That&#8217;s why I caution you who have your parents still around. Cherish all of these days before and enjoy each and every second of them.</p><p>Don&#8217;t complain when they ask you to do this, or go there, or take them wherever they ask. Just do it. And do it with a smile on your face and joy in your heart.</p><p>Remember that each day &#8212; any day &#8212; could be your day before.</p><p>I know I have said this before and I&#8217;m sure it is true of all who have lost a loved one &#8212; not a day has gone by that I have not thought about my mom or my dad since they have passed. They have remained with me always and, in many ways, I find comfort in that.</p><p>But you can be sure that I would prefer to have them here with me. I wish I could pick up the phone, dial their number and hear their voices again. I long to be able to take them to the grocery store, the doctor&#8217;s office or to a baseball game.</p><p>On this day before Mother&#8217;s Day, remember my story of the day before Mother&#8217;s Day. Cherish your days with your moms and dads and make every day before count.</p><p>Value the days you have with them, because you never know when your day before will come.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A birthday party for Billy O&#8217;Boyle, seated in front of his parents, Elizabeth and Bill O&#8217;Boyle. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Photograph-3-waltsphotos-2c-600x411-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>A birthday party for Billy O&#8217;Boyle, seated in front of his parents, Elizabeth and Bill O&#8217;Boyle. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Columnshot-1-1-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">O'Boyle</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Columnshot-1-1-1-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>O'Boyle</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>Beyond the Byline</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle, or email him at boboyle@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline, Bill O’Boyle: Treasure the days before