It’s been a while since my last email. I apologize for the delay. The last article I wrote was on May 15. Attached to that email was a link to a YouTube video of my wife, Stephanie, doing a workout at 37 weeks pregnant. Two days after that workout, Stephanie gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Lillie.

So there I was in the hospital with my wife across the room watching while I held our 21-month-old son in my arms, to see his sister for the first time as the nurses cleaned the goop (waxy vernex) from her skin. It’s amazing what babies look like when they are first born. Within minutes the nurses transformed her from a grayish-looking alien to a beautiful little angel. Our son really didn’t know what to think, and I could tell he was curious and afraid at the same time, but as soon as I set him down, he wanted me to pick him back up so he could see her again.

The feeling I had at that moment—and still have today—is the most incredible sense of accomplishment and gratitude. I’m not sure what I did to deserve it, but God has truly blessed me with a wonderful wife and two beautiful children. I finally got what I always wanted. Nothing else in life seemed to matter at that moment, except . . .

While my wife and I were at one hospital with our new baby, my 43-year-old sister was battling cancer 10 minutes away at another hospital. The next day, as soon as I knew Stephanie and the baby were okay, I left them at the hospital to visit my sister. During that visit, she asked me if I would do the eulogy at her funeral, and she began to talk to me about her funeral arrangements. I told her we didn’t need to talk about those things, but she insisted and reminded me of the reality of her situation.

For the next 8 days, my wife and I split time between being at home with our new baby and being at the hospital with my sister. Talk about mixed emotions and overwhelming stress. On the ninth day after our baby was born, my sister lost her battle with ovarian cancer. That day and the days that followed were some of the worst days of my life. I was so stressed that my right eye frequently twitched for several minutes at a time on and off all day.

For the next few weeks, Stephanie and I felt numb and helpless. We were in the middle of helping my brother-in-law get his life back together and figure out what a new normal would be. We were also finally enjoying our new baby and figuring out what our new normal would be. (I’m not sure we’re there yet with two babies under two).

I was in shock that in less than a year I had lost my dad and my sister. Needless to say, during this time I really couldn’t focus enough to sit down and write an email. Getting through the tasks I must complete every week to keep Exercise Inc running smoothly took almost all of my concentration.

I’ve learned life is really fragile and uncertain. My sister left behind a wonderful husband and two boys, ages 9 and 3. No one ever thinks their life is going end when their children are so young. That’s just not the way it’s supposed be. My sister fought cancer with everything she had. She was first diagnosed in December of 2011. During that year and a half, she endured several surgeries, lots of chemo, and endless days in the hospital. Last year she had a period of about 5 months when her cancer was in remission and she felt good. During that time, she did everything she could to have as much fun as possible with her husband and her kids. She really enjoyed life during those 5 months.

When her cancer returned, she fought like crazy to beat it. I’ve never seen anyone suffer as much as she did to try to live. I’ll never forget one of the last conversations I had with her in the hospital. She said, “I know I’m not going to beat this, but I just want 6 more months to play with my kids.” We all stood by helplessly as the doctors performed some of the most degrading procedures you could do to a human being to help her live. Nothing worked. She never got the 6 months she wanted.

My sister was a wonderful person, a great wife, and an incredible mom. She was also very smart. She had bachelors’ degrees in chemistry and engineering, and she earned a master’s degree in engineering. She enjoyed a great career. She was in the prime of her life. Nothing about her illness seemed fair, and it all happen so fast.

I will never forget the words she uttered to me that day in the hospital, “I just want 6 more months to play with my kids.” She didn’t get it the 6 months she wanted. But I have the next 6 months, and so do you. The question is what will you do with them.

In the last few weeks I have very intentionally lived my life with the passion I know my sister would have if she got that 6 months. When I’m at work, I have incredible focus and intensity because I do Work That Matters and I change peoples’ lives. I’m very lucky because I love what I do, and I have a lot of fun doing it everyday. When I get home from work, I put more focus and passion into my family than I’ve given to anything else all day. I’m very blessed with a wonderful wife and two beautiful children. They deserve the best that I have everyday.

After losing my dad and my sister in less than a year, I realize everyday we get is a gift from God. Every moment in life should be spent focusing on things that matter.

My family is the most important thing in my life. They deserve the best focus and passion I can give them. Yes, I work really hard to make Exercise Inc a place that will carry out our mission of helping people become stronger so they can enjoy life. I’m very proud of the business we’ve built. But I’m even more proud of my family. At the end of the day, I have to walk in the door of my house with more passion than I had when I walked in the door at work.

That’s not an easy thing to do, especially when you’re as passionate about work as I am.

Life is really short; make everyday count.

At home and at work, give it everything you have.

The next 6 months are yours. Live with passion.

Stay Strong,

Bo Railey