Last week we wrapped up our final Roadshow event for 2024 in Las Vegas. When I checked into the Four Seasons, where we were hosting the event, I was told by the concierge desk that they were “blowing up a hotel” later that evening (exact words). I said, “I hope it’s not the one we’re in!”
She quickly explained that at 2:30 a.m., the iconic Tropicana Hotel across the street was being imploded to make way for a new baseball stadium. Very sad. When it originally opened in 1957, the Tropicana was the most expensive and lavish resort in all of Vegas, nicknamed the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence. It pioneered the iconic “feathered showgirl,” or “Folies Bergère,” as it’s called in France, which has come to be a staple costume among Vegas showgirls. The hotel was the backdrop of famous movies like Elvis’s Viva Las Vegas, the classic James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever and The Godfather. It became the spot for jazz in Las Vegas and hosted acts like Mel Tormé, Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong, to name a few. Despite the connection to the mob early on (later pushed out), the Tropicana was the epitome of classic, vintage Las Vegas.
But like all good things here on earth, at some point they come to an end.
At the time of writing this, my daughters are still young but growing fast. My oldest, now 14, used to wake up every morning and make a sleepy trudge to my office (which is right down the hall from her bedroom) to cuddle with me on my lap for a few minutes before getting ready for school. Somewhere around nine years old, she started skipping her routine, until one day she stopped altogether. Now she flies by my office in the morning on her way out to school without so much as a “See ya, Ma!” I cannot tell you how much my heart longs to have my innocent sweet baby girl come and sit on my lap and hug me around the neck one more time. Thank goodness the 10-year-old hasn’t hit the terrible teens yet and still likes me, LOL. But with both of my girls, there was a last time I gave them a bath and played peek-a-boo. A last time we played Candy Land, a last time we made cookies for Santa and put glittery oatmeal on the lawn to attract the reindeer. A last time we played on the swings at the playground. These were magical moments that are now just very fond memories.
There was a last time I saw my brother before he was brutally shot and killed by a neighbor. I just didn’t know it would be the last time. There was the last time I told my Nana and Pop-Pop I loved them. A last time when I took my best friend in the world, a 12-pound Jack Russell named Ozzy, for a walk – an activity we both loved.
So, remember, there IS a last time for everything. The very things you are unhappy about and complaining over today will come to an end at some point – going to the office, grinding out the work, the pressure of deadlines, the early mornings and the steady stream of problems to solve, fueled by caffeine and swear words. But all the good that comes with it will come to an end too – the comradery of working with your team, the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done, praise from a raving-fan client, the brief shining moments when you get it all right. And when that’s GONE, it’s GONE. Over. Done. Finito.
So, be sure to tell your spouse, your kids, your friends you love them. Often. Tell them today, because they might be gone tomorrow. There is a last time for everything.
Stop and have a friendly conversation with your mom, dad, a friend, the guy at the coffee shop you frequent. Take just a few minutes for this, more often than you do. Especially today. Tell your clients, employees and vendors you appreciate them. They might be gone tomorrow. Or you might be gone tomorrow.
If you, like me, have a lot of aches, limitations and old injuries that make working out painful, remember that you still CAN do SOMETHING and be extremely grateful for it. Some people can’t do any workout anymore. There is a last time for everything. Whatever it is that you really, really enjoy doing, really, really, really enjoy it the next time you do it.
When you go to your job or place of business today, be thankful you’ve got one and give it the very best you’ve got. Say thank you to your boss and your customers. If you’re in charge, remember to show gratitude for your employees, your clients, vendors and other people who support you. Tomorrow, a thousand entrepreneurs will close business doors – and then wish they’d done something differently. Maybe they’ll wonder what might have happened if they’d advertised more creatively, sold more aggressively or invested more time into learning how to run a business.
Whatever you’re going to do today, give it your best and appreciate ALL that comes with it – the pain, the stress and the work. There is a last time for everything.
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