I received a reminder this week of just how precious life is when my friend, Rodney Reif, lost his wife, Mary, unexpectedly at age 47 to a heart attack.

I started going to school with Rodney at age 5 at Carrollton Elementary School. I played basketball with him and was on the track team in grade school, then played high school basketball with him. He is a farm boy and a devoted member of Eldred Baptist Church. We have been good friends since I was a kid and always have been able to talk about anything.

Rodney married Mary on April 26, 1986, and they marked their 25th wedding anniversary last year at Disney World with their two children, Katherine and Jennifer. He said he now is very thankful that they were able to spend that time together.

I called Rodney and talked to him on Thursday night, and it was very painful. I don’t want to reveal too much of our conversation, but  he  said he was still in “shock” about what had happened and was walking around in a “fog.” I completely understand that. Rodney rushed Mary to the hospital in Carrollton on Wednesday morning when she started showing symptoms of heart problems. She walked into the hospital, but unfortunately, once she laid down to be treated, she must have had a massive coronary attack and died instantly. Rodney and his family had no time to prepare for the loss of their loved one because it happened so quickly.

Mary was a supporter of Girl Scouts and performing arts at Carrollton schools, and she truly loved people. She worked recently at Tri County Farm Supply as a bookkeeper. Rodney said he and Mary were perfect for each other from the very beginning. Within three months of their meeting, he asked her to marry him, and they were married within a year. I identified with that because I did the same thing with my wife, Victoria.

I don’t know if anything can prepare anyone to cope with what happened to Rodney this week, but he said the only way to get through it is “faith,” something I know Rodney and his family have always had.

I encourage friends of Rodney and Mary to take Rodney and his family some food or any kind of help he might need in the coming days. I also encourage those who take their relationships for granted to kiss their spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend goodbye each day when they go to work and don’t forget the simplest of words: “I love you.”

While those three words are some of the easiest to say, we often forget to say them, and we want to make sure we do say it before it is too late. I have already put Rodney and his family in my thoughts and prayers and encourage everyone else to do the same.

I must admit I was very sad when I learned of Whitney Houston’s death last weekend. I only remember a few times in my life when celebrities died that I literally stopped for a moment and tried to absorb it, but her death was difficult to handle. Two other times I remember that were this riveting occurred when actor John Belushi and singer Michael Jackson died. I knew Whitney had suffered from problems with drug abuse, but I didn’t expect her to die this young.

Every time I see footage on her or read about the details, it also expands my sadness of a loss of unbelievable artistic talent; perhaps the most natural singing voice I have ever heard.

Last weekend after Whitney died, I was talking to my 11-year-old daughter about it, and she brought up that Adele was a smoker, which surprised me that she knew that. Then she came back with a few statistics about smoking and drug abuse that her D.A.R.E. program had taught her in school. She said, “Dad, you know, smoking causes all these different problems from your lungs, makes your teeth dark, etc.” She even had some exact statistics memorized on how many years smoking cuts off of a person’s life. I think she told me on the average, smoking reduces life expectancy by 14 years.

I used Whitney’s death to talk about the perils of drug use with her. I am not saying that was the cause of death in Whitney, but I am sure she has health issues related to the use of drug abuse.

I have reflected a lot about Whitney’s death. I think doctors need to be more responsible with the stars in handing out prescription medications. We can’t make it is as easy for them to continue their drug habits. Maybe the Hollywood studios and major record companies need to do more in regard to drug testing, just like Major League Baseball is doing to try to keep more of these people clean. The studios and record labels need to encourage the stars to seek rehab whenever they are noticeably struggling with problems due to drug abuse.  For years, the stars have been able to get their hands on just about any drug they want so easily, and I think the studios and record labels have overlooked a lot of destructive behaviors.

Staying in a life of drug abuse is a personal choice, though. Ultimately, after rehab, a drug user has to decide is that what I want to be, or do I want a different type of life.

I can’t imagine being addicted to a drug and having to use it every day. Each day, I have to take several injections of insulin to survive because of diabetes, but if I didn’t have that worry, I would never be dependent on any type of drug. At least my drug is prescribed and for survival.

I also hope young people will realize the dangers of drug abuse and simply stay away. It’s not a bad thing to “just say no to drugs,” as used to be the slogan. Maybe that slogan needs to be reenforced more in our schools.  I am thankful for the work of D.A.R.E. in all of our schools and hope people will support their education efforts. I can tell by the brief conversation I had with my daughter last weekend, their message is getting through and it is so important.

Last, I feel terrible for Whitney’s daughter and hope she can rise above this terrible tragedy. Let’s hope if anything, we can learn from the deaths of Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, and  try to stop this terrible spiral for these American stars and protect our young people from a similar tragedy as they grow into adulthood.

A presentation at the National Great Rivers Museum on Sunday about Robert Wadlow and my book “Boy Giant” once again made me realize the importance of preserving history.

I asked Gene Crivello, a close friend of Wadlow, to also present with me, and he did, but he said something that almost jolted me. He said he and Thomas Griesbaum, who was another classmate, are the only two still living that were close to Robert who can tell of personal experiences. I have watched one by one my Boy Giant sources show up in The Telegraph obituary column and I said during my presentation, each time, it makes me sad. I interviewed more than 100 people, mostly local, to recap their personal experiences with Robert and I think that is the selling point of my book.

My point is if you are doing something historical, get on it and don’t procrastinate. If I had waited another few months on the Wadlow project, it would have never become a reality. Harold Wadlow Jr., Robert’s baby brother, was a major source for me in the book and he died suddenly before the book was released. If I had waited to meet with him, all of his memories would have been lost and they are preserved in my book.

Crivello was magnificent in his brief presentation on Sunday. He is in his 90s, but he is still is very clear about his memories of Robert. I have always enjoyed being with him as a guest when I present and he helped me a lot with the book project so I have a lot of gratitude to him.

I think Erin Hilligoss-Volmann, park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has done a marvelous job with the program of inviting authors to come out to her museum. The new museum and its surroundings are truly a site for everyone to see. If you get time, visit one of the programs at the new museum; it will be worth your time.

Last weekend, the American Diabetes Association partnered with hospitals, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Pharmacy Department and several others to put on a free education program. An array of speakers took part and each were outstanding.

The topics including discussion about insulin, physical activity, stress management, food labels and vision.

Free foot inspections, blood pressure screenings and one-on-one counseling with health providers were also available.

Rawnie Berry, associate manager of the American Diabetes Association office in St. Louis and guides activities in the Metro East,  did an excellent job organizing and promoting the education event. One out of every seven in this country are suffering from diabetes and many don’t even know it. The disease stats are simply staggering. We have to work together to raise funds to continue research and find a cure for future generations, because the outbreak of the disease will only get worse.

I have been insulin dependent for nearly 20 years and I personally think the diabetes education event is one of the most important ones of the year.

I am going to do profiles of people living successfully and wonder if you know someone I might profile? E-mail me at dbrannan@thetelegraph.com if you have a suggestion. Include a contact number and brief information on why you see the person as inspiring.

I tweeted that I was at a point where I didn’t care about what Albert Pujols did with signing and I meant it.

The Pujols contract situation has been a distraction for too long for the Birds. I think he is a remarkable player and also one of the better people St. Louis has ever had on its team. However,  for him,  it is obvious it is about money, with him signing with the Los Angeles Angels. I don’t think Albert will play 10 years, so I don’t think it is worth it for Los Angeles to spend that kind of money.

St. Louis is a special baseball city and the Cardinals seem to always rebound no matter what happens, so the team will be OK. There are several talented players still on the team.

The days of professional athletes being loyal or owners being loyal back I think have ended. In a word today, it is all about money.

I doubt seriously if I visit Albert’s restaurant anymore. It’s apparent he didn’t want to stay in St. Louis. I am curious what everyone else thinks about Albert signing with another team.

On the bright side, my daughter, Sierra, now is a loyal, faithful Cardinals fan and will carry on my tradition. She bought a special book at her book fair recapping the season. She read it cover to cover last night.

The Cardinals and the loyal Redbird fans will survive without Albert, folks.

It’s amazing to me how much a Major League Baseball team can rally everyone around it during the post season.

The St. Louis Cardinals are doing exactly that – creating a bond that I don’t normally see between families and friends. Maybe that is why I am such a St. Louis Cardinal fan, because of my childhood and endless hours watching the Cards, including a Series trip when St. Louis hosted  against Boston in 1967.

Manager Tony LaRussa’s phone call to the bullpen in Game 5 will likely forever go down in Cardinal folklore.

I let my 11-year-old daughter stay up and watch the game against Texas with me the other night. She sported a red Cardinal hat with her blonde hair sticking out that said, “Pujols” on it and a red and white jersey from a previous visit to Busch Stadium. For her, it’s all about the outfit or game attire, just like her mother. I can see that already, she loves the Cardinals. That is what happened to me and now she will carry on that tradition.

Win or lose, it has been a great season for the St. Louis Cardinals. Hopefully, the Cards will stay alive tonight, if they get the game in despite the rain. Even my wife, Victoria, who is originally from South Carolina, has become a devout St. Louis Cardinal fan. She simply loves the Cardinals and watching the games. A girlfriend and her husband treated her to a World Series birthday game present last weekend (her first) and she has already preserved her game pass like it a ticket to the Oscars. Asking her to go to a World Series game was one of the kindest presents we have been given by any friend over the years.

I will sport some red in my attire this evening and be busy watching the game. In simple words, GO CARDS, and let’s get to Game Seven!

Liberty and Lincoln Middle School cross country teams are doing something I think is outstanding.

The kids have a running shoe collection for One World Running organization on Tuesday. One World Running will send the shoes to Africa, Haiti and Central America. The collection date is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Liberty Middle School track. Those attending are asked to bring gently used running shoes and $5 to assist in shipping fees and also run a mile.

The idea for the shoe collection was that of Diana Kamadulski, and I commend her on coming up with the selfless concept. Her husband, Brian, is the cross country coach at Liberty Middle School, and I can speak from personal experience that he is one of the best coaches of grade school kids I have seen in quite some time. He is extremely organized and considerate of the athletes and he gets the absolute most out of these young people. He is a coach that goes way above and beyond the call of duty year round for his athletes.

What I like most about Brian is he is also thoughtful about other people and he is setting a solid example for both Liberty and Lincoln Middle children to follow for the future.

We have to think about more than just ourselves as we get older and these young people are going to be so much ahead of other contemporaries by taking part in this kind of project.

As much as running has meant in my life for nearly four decades, it pains me to think about young people in Africa, Haiti and Central America not having running shoes with which to run and train. We are so blessed in this country and we should think of those in other parts of world who do not have the same tools that we possess here. Who knows, because of the efforts of these children, there may be a future Olympic champion discovered that might have never been found without their gift.

This is a good example for other athletic teams to consider, no matter what the charitable cause. I encourage people to consider giving some running shoes and $5 to assist in this event on Tuesday.

I spent some time on Tuesday night watching an interview on CNN with Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch. I have two daughters, so it was painful for me to watch some of his reactions and strife at losing his daughter, Amy, a well-known singer. Amy was found dead in her London home on July 23.

It seems now for me because of having children, when one father hurts I share the pain. I had commented earlier that I didn’t think Amy would be remembered in the category of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, but after watching video clips of her and her abilities, I may be wrong. There is no doubt, Amy had boundless potential for future if she could have eliminated the drug problem. It seems her death is most likely related to the months of addiction and damage it did to her body and organs, so without her abusing drugs, it’s likely she would still be alive and well in the music industry.

Mitch Winehouse has established the Amy Winehouse Foundation in the United States and purpose is to support organizations that help young people who are vulnerable, including those with addictions.

If you haven’t seen a video duet of Amy and Tony Bennett of a song called “Body And Soul,” I encourage you to do so. I think you will be captivated by Amy’s talent with the legendary crooner Bennett if you see the video.

The video of the two together also made me feel some sorrow. Watching the video you think of Amy as a sweet, beautiful young lady, not someone who had been afflicted by drug addictions. Thankfully, she was not found with drugs in her system, quite a surprise to many.

For those young people who are contemplating using or experimenting with drugs, I hope they will use the example of Winehouse to avoid that. In my younger era, we had Len Bias, the former University of Maryland basketball player’s death, to look at as an example. Bias died of a cocaine overdose, just before starting his career in the National Basketball Association.

I also hope citizens will support the new Amy Winehouse Foundation. I think the mission behind it is positive and hopefully money raised for the foundation will help those young people with troubles, including drug addiction. I also commend her father for his work with it and hope the foundation can be a place where he puts some of his grief into positive results for other younger people.

Age 27 is too young for someone to die, but I am hoping in the end, Amy Winehouse’s death might help some others struggling with addictions. Nothing bothers me more than to see people with such talent die long before they should. From now on, I will include her when we talk of the others, Morrison, Hendrix and Cobain, because I don’t think she was far behind them in terms of ability.

We have to continue to educate the younger generations of the pitfalls of abusing alcohol and drugs and hope that we steer many the right way for the future.

A week ago, I spent Saturday evening at Union Avenue Opera, watching the performance of “Dead Man Walking.”

My wife, Victoria Brannan, has played with the Union Avenue Opera strings section as a violist for many years.

The orchestra is directed by Scott Schoonover and I always think he does a magnificent job. It’s obvious that music is in Scott’s soul from his head to toes by the energy he displays as he directs. I am prejudiced because my wife plays in the orchestra, but the musicians’ work is first class. It’s amazing what a solid orchestra does to help keep the cast and the production moving.

The opera cast of “Dead Man Walking” was also first class. At times, I felt as if the production was real because the performers were so believable in their different roles.

I thought Jordan Shanahan, who portrays Joseph De Rocher, and Elise Quagliata, who plays Sister Helen Prejean, in “Dead Man Walking” were both terrific. Robert Reed was captivating as George Benton, the prison warden. There was just something about the aura of Reed’s personality that automatically draws attention in his direction.

Performances are set at 8 tonight and Saturday at Union Avenue Christian Church of “Dead Man Walking.” Sister Helen Prejean visited the UAO production when it opened and that made for a memorable event. I think it is great she takes the time to visit the productions first hand.
This is the 17th season for Union AVenue Opera and from my years of watching I have to say those who come to see the productions will not be disappointed.

If you get a chance turn out tonight or Saturday to the the UOA closing shows of the season. The UOA performers and organizers would be most appreciative.

The country band Sugarland performed on Thursday and I must admit I was quite moved when I saw Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush in video clips on stage.

I think the band showed courage getting back and performing. I am thankful that Sugarland did not take the stage the night the 60 to 70 mph winds gusted and destroyed the massive stage into the audience. Four were killed immediately and one later.

Nettles sang the song “Love,” from their 2008 album. Someone on the Sugarland tour held the group back and likely saved their lives. I doubt if they would have survived if they had been positioned on the stage that was severely mangled.

It’s amazing how one move or a second in time can be the difference between life and death. I think this proves that we should never take anything for granted and always live each day to the fullest.

I hope the Sugarland band members can continue making wonderful music; I love the voice of singer Jennifer Nettles, she is truly one of the best today in country.