Best Day Ever / Worst Day Ever

Ever see the movie City Slickers? It's the Billy Crystal film where Billy's character turns 40 and realizes that he is getting old. He and two friends go to a real ranch where they are to lead a herd of cattle, only they wind up doing it for real on their own. OK, so who cares about the premise...

There are two defining moments in this film that are actually life-changing. Odd, because it's Billy Crystal and a film about city boys on horses. One of the moments is when Curly (the rough cowboy... I know, I know... but it really is life-changing) tells Billy that there is only "one thing" that matters in life. "What is it?" Billy asks. "You have to find that out for yourself," replied Curly. In other words, what is the one thing you live for? The other life-changing encounter in the film is the topic of this post.

The question was given: Name your best day ever, name your worst day ever. They take turns, and Billy tells of the worst day was a scare about cancer in his wife's body, and the best day being the trip to Yankee Stadium with his dad. The final response was from the "player" friend. At first he doesn't want to respond, but then tells of an abusive father who tormented his family. He describes the day he finally stood up to his dad physically and forced him to leave the home, thereby protecting his mom and siblings from further abuse. "That," he said, "was my best day." His friends responded, "Wow! What was your worst day?" His answer... "Same day."

Yesterday, April 26, 2007, Isaac Jayden Scott celebrated his 5th birthday. Five years ago he was born in a traumatic delivery, with toxins throughout his and Holly's body, and was immediately taken to the ICU. We were told that he was probably not going to make it, but that he was going to be transferred by the "Angel" Team to Vanderbilt Hospital. He had a Diaphragmatic Hernia that had his intestines in his chest cavity, crushing one lung completely while putting pressure on both his heart and his other lung. "Do you want to baptize him?" we were asked. My wife was left by me to recover at the hospital (with her parents), our other boys were being watched by aunts and uncles, and my dad and I went to Vanderbilt to be with Isaac. Surgery followed at three days old as well as a month in the hospital. Literally 24 hour one on one care was given to him, with a nurse never leaving his room for around 2-3 weeks.

Now, he's five; he's beautiful; and he's alive. I understand. Best day ever / Worst day ever... same day.