Have you ever considered how you live your life? What are the goals that you want to achieve? What is it that you want people to say about the way you've lived your life once you are gone?

My father always told me to live the life I wanted to live, not the life everyone else wanted me to live. He was always saying that life is too short to argue, too short to hold grudges and too short for us not to tell the ones we really care about-and sometime take for granted-that we love them. Boy was he ever right.

As I'm sure most of you know, my dad, Jeff Glover, was killed in a car accident on Jan. 25th. He was on his way to work-early because he had a presentation that morning. He stopped and picked up his usual breakfast consisting of chocolate doughnuts and a Mountain Dew. He was pulling out of the parking lot and getting back onto the 2 lane highway, when a man driving in the opposite direction swerved to miss an animal and went off onto the gravel shoulder. The man lost control of his truck, hit the guard rail and spun out into traffic, colliding with my father's Camry. **We have since learned that the guy that hit him fell asleep at the wheel**

The impact was so great, according to the EMS, that he was killed instantly-no pain, no suffering. My father was only 41 years old.

I always knew he was a great man, but since I'm here in Indiana, and he was in Nebraska, I never really knew how admired he was in his community until I saw the 2.5 mile procession. My dad and his wife Barb, moved to Nebraska 7 years ago with my stepbrother, stepsister, and half brother, while my sisters and I stayed in Iowa with my mother and stepdad.

My dad always played an active part in the community. In Bennington (right outside of Omaha) he started the Annual Second Chance Prom for adults, and the proceeds from the ticket sales would benefit either someone who needed it, or a local charity. This past year they raised money for my little brother Adam's best friend Drew. Drew, 12 years old, has been fighting cancer for most of his life and the doctors finally decided to amputate his leg, and treat him with chemo. They raised over $48,000 and gave it to Drew's family. Not only did it cover all his medical expenses, but his first round of chemo and a prostetic leg.

My father always loved being around kids too. As a father of 6 (the oldest being 21 and the youngest 10) he was always coaching something, whether it be my stepbrothers football team, or the little league baseball team that needed a coach. It never mattered to him if one of his own kids wasn't playing.

I learned a lot about my father while I was gone, and if there is one thing that has impacted the way i see things now, it was his love for life. He was always seen in pictures with a smile that conveyed hi was up to no good-and believe me, 9 times out of 10 he really wasn't. He really had a love for life.

I have so many great memories of times spent with my father and I would like to encourage you to think about something. HAVE you really lived? Do you go that extra mile for someone, regardless of if it benefits you? Do you stand up for what you believe? Life is short and can be snuffed out before you know it.

Please, take the time to examine what you do each day. Have no regrets. Tell your parents you love them. Let you friends know that you care and that even though you may take advantage of them-you really do appreciate their friendship. Most of all have fun. Live YOUR life to the fullest, not someone elses. Dream YOUR dreams. Participate in the things you want to-don't let anyone tell you that it's stupid or fear that they may laugh.

I hope that each one of you will never lose a parent as early in life as I have, but please take this lesson from my father. Live your life in the fast lane. Look at your life through a new pair of eyes-I know I do now. Achieve your goals, let go of your grudges, be nice to your siblings, obey your parents and let your friends know that despite the fact that you may take them foregranted, you really DO care about them.

To quote a very good friend of mine...

"Love life and live it like you love it!"