Posted by Greg Rittler on November 28th, 2008

I’ve got a big reason to be thankful

It could have easily gone the other way…

One of our portfolio companies, Kanon Group (a residential design/build remodeling company) had a crisis this week. On Tuesday night one of our project managers, Dave Sabatino, was in a very serious accident. Serious enough that he had to be cut out of the vehicle. Serious enough that his van looked like this when it was all over. In a set of really freakish circumstances I happened to be driving by the accident scene only a few moments after the accident occurred.

I don’t scare easily, but…

The scene that I pulled up to was horrific. This definitely shook me. Coming up to the accident scene seeing the van (one of OUR vans) smashed to pieces and not knowing what had happened to Dave was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I just had a sinking feeling in my stomach and had no idea what to expect. I thought Dave was dead.

Here is where the news gets a little better

The accident was extremely serious. Dave was pinned in the van and had to be cut out. However, the EMTs and police realized very quickly that Dave had been spared a great deal in this accident. They were shocked that he was alive. He is going to have a significant recovery ahead – his right foot was smashed and his left leg has a serious wound that may require significant surgery. In the end he is expected to recover fully. He was alive and well in the hospital when I saw him Wednesday morning. I told him that seeing him alive was the greatest blessing of my life this year.

You can’t face a life and death situation like that without rethinking some things. It reminded me of what’s really important in life. A friend of mine, Chas Jones, gave me an illustration that has stuck with me. Here’s what he told me once after his daughter had been in an accident:

Life involves a lot of juggling. There are glass balls and rubber balls in life. Rubber balls are balls that if we drop them we can still recover; dropping a rubber ball won’t cause permanent pain. They may cause stress but they bounce back and you can juggle them again even if they drop. Glass balls on the other hand don’t bounce and will break if you drop them. Once they are dropped there is irreparable pain. You don’t recover broken glass balls.

So what’s the point?

Don’t wait for crisis to hit you to realize that every person in your organization and in your life is a glass ball and you only have one chance to live life together. This is your one and only life. Use it well. Life will continue on the other side of eternity but your chance on this earth is limited. Your people are your most important asset. I know you have heard that cliche a millions time. Here’s your chance to show that you really believe it.

Let’s say “thanks” to the people we need to. Let’s be fully engaged when we are with our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and shopkeepers; the list could go on and on. Let’s not leave words unspoken that need to be spoken. Let’s live this one and only life to the fullest with the relationships that are in our lives.

I know I have a big reason to be thankful this weekend. Dave’s alive and I get to see him live to see another day. That’s a glass ball that could have broken but didn’t.

Keep moving forward,

Greg