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MY FATHER DIED at the very young age of 51. As I push further and further into my late 40s, I notice that I have been mentally holding my breath until I reach that now ominous age. My brother felt the same way, and thankfully he just passed that milestone.

Our father's death had an impact on us in so many ways. He didn't meet any of his grandchildren, which makes us sad at every special moment in their lives. After his death, my sister's marriage ended. Her husband was with dad when he had his final, fatal heart attack, and this fact never left him. Bud later committed suicide, and we will never know how much that act was influenced by dad's death.

Our father didn't see the three of us go on to get married (or in my sister's case, remarried) and experience career changes, new homes and other life-transforming events. While we always know how proud he would be of all of us for all our achievements, great and small, we will never hear those words from him again.

But probably the biggest impact dad's death had on me, personally, is how I take care of myself. Diet and exercise, diet and exercise, diet and exercise--the mantra keeps reminding me of what I, a single mother, need to do to be here as long as possible for my daughter. This, combined with the fact that my daughter needs to see me living healthy, making good choices about food and exercise, has probably been the most lasting legacy my father left me.

I literally hope I can live up to it!