Well, I agree with you.  I had cancer in February 2001, Since then I felt like I had given another chance at life and I'd better enjoy it.  Good post!  As for what I did today...I did laundry, called a lot of customers, cleaned up my house while I was on my blue tooth, organized my files (ugh) wrote up a listing, wrote two offer's, wrote a blog post, and am now blogging more...just as you said, many of us are work-a-holics...feel free to "add me to your workaholic club!"  Oh, I forgot, and walked a mile! Sitting at the computer all day is not healthy, so my new routine is to walk every day, or whatever you choose to get some activity for thing's other than your fingers!  :-)

Wow!  How sad, that happens so often when people are facing their retirement and golden years, and never get to really enjoy it because like is cut short by and illness such as cancer.  We all hope to live much longer, richer lives than a generation ago,  and it is happening that folks are living longer, but then you hear something like this.  I hope you get to spend lots of time with him, and that it is a treatable cancer.  Posted By:  Nadine Blakely, Lynchburg, RE/MAX 1st Olympic, Lynchburg, VA 

Russ,

I am sorry to hear about your neighbor and friend. I hope that he will get through this just fine. I may be young (26) but I consider myself a work-a-holic. I am up around 9 AM every morning and start working. I usually don't finish until around midnight or so and then relax for an hour or two and go to bed to do it again tomorrow. I am looking forward to my vacation in June for my bowling league and maybe taking a cruise in the fall. Keep your head held high and hug your friends and family.

Russ, this is such great advice to all of us. It also takes pain to make us re-evaluate out lives, glad your on the right page.

My thoughts and prayers are with your neighbor and his family.  I will pray that he is able to get through this and follow his retirement plans.  I learned long ago to enjoy everyday when my Grandfather was taken from us at the age of 58 long before retirement.  My father retired early and thank god he did because he went at 59.  Work hard but play hard to and let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. 

I am totally guilty .. I love my work I love the challenge I love trying to make it one step better then before..My family understand the passion and joy I find in my work But I do understand that my joy is not everyone else's joy and I should enter their world equally