"You Are Never Promised Tomorrow" - How losing my best friend and my brother have changed me.

Check out my other channels:
Vlogging Through History - / vloggingthroughhistory
History Guy Gaming - / thehistoryguy
Email: [e-mail]

[@acrisptaco8876]

VTH, I hope you know how important you are to some people. Love history, came for history. stayed for you

[@vthextra]

Much appreciated. This community we are all a part of means a great deal to me as well

[@David_Kin]

@@vthextra I too came for history. stayed for you.

[@andresousa5302]

@@vthextra Cannot agree more with Crisp - Your History channel was suggested to me by KZbin maybe 1-2 weeks after you started it and ever since you have changed my way of thinking and acting (or at least trying to) in multiple fronts. You really are a gift to all of us, I appreciate you so much!

[@professorwhat2704]

Same here. It only took one video for me to think "I like this guy." Everything since then has reinforced that.

[@itchyguy123]

You obviously have a high knowledge of history but your storytelling and public speaking skills are exceptional truly inspirational

[@saniramrehpotsirk]

My grandma had Alzheimer's and mascular degeneration which meant she could only see blurs and her mind would run crazy and this was for 5 years or so that my dad and I took care of her. Over those five years she rarely if at all called me by my name thinking I was my dad or someone else. The last time I saw her in the hospital she said I love you Kristopher (my name). It gave me closure because that happened and her declining health I knew that was going to be the last time I talked to her.

[@vthextra]

I’m so sorry. My grandmother is the same way and I know how hard that is.

[@professorwhat2704]

I've had multiple family members deal with Alzheimer's. It's brutal. That one moment was an incredible gift that you got.

[@Mr.Marketing]

As an athiest Chris is my version of church. Everybody communing each day, all with smiles on their face and learning together. Then at the end a positive sermon like message. I can totally see why he makes that drive every Sunday.

[@cflow2013]

Forgiving yourself is really really important in the grieving process. When I was 20, my dad finally retired after working 362 days a year for like 20 straight years. He owned a cafe and only had one employee, and would only take off Christmas, thanksgiving and his moms birthday. Growing up there was definitely some resentment towards it, but as I grow older I can also appreciate the passion/drive. After he retired he wanted to move to the Philippines. After running around on concrete floors for so long his hips were shot and the heat and sand helped a lot, so I was always supportive of it. When he would call he could just talk and talk and talk. For hours. Looking back now I get emotional because I understand that is communicating would be the highlight of his day and he probably just didn’t want it to stop. 6 months after he moved there I got a call, I was doing something stupid, I can’t even remember it now so I blew it off because I didn’t even have the time to say I was busy. I still feel so guilty about it. That night at like two AM I get a call and it’s him on the call ID and I remember being furious that he was calling me so early, and just being mad that he forgot about how noon for him wasn’t noon for me. I answered and there was some woman on the line who didn’t know really any English other than “Carlton, I’m sorry. Dad died” and it was just… life changing. I don’t remember the last thing we talked about. I don’t remember many of the details of our last few months of talking, even though there was probably 100 hours in phone calls in that time. All I remember is the guilty feeling of… man if I just answered that phone call he would probably still be alive. In any way if I changed his path that day it probably wouldn’t have happened. It’s been seven years. He never saw me be successful. I was a high school drop out at the time. He won’t see me finish my PhD. He will never meet my son. My wife. It’s been really hard letting go of the guilt. Part of the reason I wanna be a psychologist is to understand my own issues better and help other people with theirs. I’m almost all better at this point. With any grieving there are easy days and hard days. I just hope by sharing my story too other people will know that if you go through something like this, you aren’t alone. You’ll get through it and you will be okay. You have to forgive yourself, and try to live a happy life for them, but most importantly because you deserve it. I wish he could’ve been around long enough to meet my best me, but he will get to hear all about it when I see him again.

[@FiNCain]

Thank you chris, I would like to share my story also. I’m 20 years old and I graduated in 2020. I had a friend named remington. He was very dear to me. His brother and mine would play baseball so we would be in the stands playing and having a good time, kid things. I moved away from the town and a couple years later I was back. I remember my first day in school like it was yesterday. 2nd grade I walk into my home room and there he is, sitting across the door he yells out my name. He recognized me and that made everyone in the classroom come to me. I made a lot of friends that day. Friends that i’m still close to. Long story short, he was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and was hospitalized 2019. He never got to see graduation, he never got to see his brothers daughter, he never got to see adult life. We lost him the summer of ‘19. One of the biggest regrets was not going to see him in the hospital, I was thinking in my head that he would just get better and be at the school next year but i was wrong. And til this day I feel a hatred towards myself that i didn’t see him and tell him i loved him. I cry sometimes about it. And sometimes i will have dreams that feel so real that when i wake up i feel like he is still here and i’ll text his number praying for a response. Thank you chris for your courage. I haven’t talked about this in a long time

[@trentonebel9088]

I was 1 around this time and still somewhat remember those days of dial up. Simpler times were fun

[@pingyu5141]

I lost my high school best friend in our mid 20's. I'm now in my 60's, and still could not get over the guilt over his death. One night he called that he wanna hangout with me and get some drinks, I wanted to but declined, and promised to do it on a later date. Early the next morning at dawn, i was surprised to see his brother knocking at our door. He said my best friend went out alone last night, and never came home.. he was found murdered and his body was at the funeral parlor. I wondered if I was with him maybe that wouldn't have happened. The day he was buried, it was so heart breaking to know, that i was going on a new chapter in my life, and he would no longer be there.

[@cristiancaiola9588]

I've been a huge fan of VTH for about a year now and it's great to be able to get to learn more about you as a person. I'm actually a Pre-Theology Student (preparing for Catholic seminary) and I'd love to hear more about your faith. God bless you sir!

[@jasonkiefer1894]

Lord bless you in your studies. I have done youth ministry in the past (my wife is in charge now) and did go to some formal training for that. Recently i enrolled in my denomination's (Lutheran) seminary through their online route. I just turned 50, so I get all of Chris' cultural references. Loved discovering this channel, and neat to see all the great commenters. Kudos to everyone.

[@lebleusky141]

I’m a Christian, I teach and am on the praise team at my church, I have always loved History but always had a hard time finding fun and legitimate content, then I found your channel and could not get enough of your videos, now you’ve opened up this channel to share some amazing messages with your relationship with God being a huge part of it and I just wanna say i’m one of your many subscribers that look up to you and are thankful for every bit of content you put out and just who you are and what you do when the camera isn’t running! Take Care VTH!

[@gabrielcanuteson4679]

Your talk about forgiveness, it reminds of Don Henley's quote, "Keep holding in that anger, it will eat you up inside." That's something people don't seem to understand, forgiveness is about you, it's not about the other person. One of the things that I've always found difficult is forgiving myself for stupid things. But that too is a necessity.

[@kittiepride7772]

You are a light in a dark world Chris.....I suspect that's why people are drawn to you......shine on my friend!!

[@jasonblack4208]

I love how your personal stories are so much classier than most people. No drama, focus on real content. PS: if the last words someone said before I died were "I'm too tired to talk to you right now", I wouldn't take that personally at all. I dont want to tell you how to feel, but maybe it might help to know that most people probably would realize it wasn't them or your relationship that was the problem. That's...being an adult, for better or for worse.

[@dontbethatguy2881]

You know Since this is non historical, even to some extent, personal videos, I’m sure me as well as other people would love to see a sermon of yours, hearing that you work as a clergy part time. Would be a great thing to see! 👍

[@idiotengineer3925]

I'm not even religious and I'd listen to him give one

[@marchelridgeway]

The more I hear from you is the more I respect you. You’re doing great work and everything you do is a blessing to the world. Thank you for being so informative and open with your story and history. You’re a light in this world. Keep spreading the good love and knowledge.

[@imperatorantonius222]

I lost my dad a few years ago. Going up to to the moment he died we had a pretty rocky relationship. We disagreed on so many things and sometimes he said things to intentionally antogonise me. We barely spoke with eachother and one day suddenly he had an aneurysm and died within a few days. Because of his condition he wasn't able to talk or perceive anything so me and my brother/mom were not able to have a final conversation with him. My emotions at the time were full of shock, saddnes and a weird feeling of emptiness. Even though we were at odds still had this feeling of great loss. Eventually I came to accept his death and gave it a place but till this day I've never really lost the regret of never having had a good final conversation. Our final conversation was so bad I can't even remember it. But over the years since his death I've started to change my perception of him I'm often reminded how similar we actually are in terms of interests and manners. So I've finally come to a place where I still have some regret of not having the good final conversation I am trying more and more to remember the good parts of him. I don't forgive him for his bad habits (alcoholism and others) but I try to remember him for all the good stuff he did for me and the opportunities he gave me. My dad was ultimately a man who loved me, my mum and my brother and never stopped believing or fighting for me for a single second.

[@MrMatthias]

Thank you so much for sharing. I'm so sorry for your losses. 💛 In July of 2020, I lost a close friend named Jessica to suicide after not seeing her since we had both graduated from college in 2014. She was dealing with a terrible mental illness and it was just too heavy a burden for her to carry. That completely destroyed me. I had no idea what to think or do. I was angry at those who knew and didn't take action, and at myself for not taking the time to go to Chicago to see her and a mutual friend (who I am in contact with again thanks to this). [Edit: I did eventually come to let that anger go when I realized no one was at fault, but it was a process] If there was a single time in my life that completely changed me, it was this. I left my job in retail and moved from my hometown to start working for a residential home for people with developmental and mental disabilities, and I intend to get a masters degree in psychology in the coming years, Lord willing.

[@BaltimoreBucc]

VTH Extra is 100% the best idea you have had since starting VTH Chris. I say since starting VTH because without VTH there’d be no VTHE. I already knew you were an amazing individual but this channel shows even more evidence of that. There needs to be more teachers in school like you. I love all of your content and may God bless you, your family, and everyone reading this. I will continue to pray for you guys and will especially say a prayer for your Cleveland Browns🙏🏽( even though you said Baker was the best QB in the AFC North)😉🤷🏼‍♂️

[@cameronjellison2085]

My father passed away when in was 10 years old. He was in hospice for about 6 weeks, and one night my sister woke me up at about 11pm. My mother was at hospice with him and the nurses finally said he probably wouldn’t make it through the day. I let out a blood curdling scream that still rings in my ears 14 years later. My mother told me that if I wanted to see him now is the time, I said no, spent the day at another family’s house and heard he passed at about noon the next day. I never forgave myself for not seeing my own father, even though he was unresponsive for a number of days before that. Then after my mother became an abusive drunk, and i was contemplating suicide at 12 years old.. an elderly man in my congregation nnoticed how terrible I was doing and decided to spend time with me. He is one of a few people who quite literally saved my life. He had a heart attack and ended up in hospice a few rooms from where my father had been. He was also mostly unresponsive, and I spent most of the time speaking with his relatives. But at one point he regained consciousness, saw me, and said “it’s good to see you my friend”. I don’t even remember crying in that moment because it was a moment of pure joy. Sorry for the bad storytelling

[@kingtiger354]

I can relate to this on a personal level at this moment. My dad is currently dying with bone cancer and pneumonia and I’ll be honest, I watch most of your videos but when I saw this one it took me awhile to press play. Not knowing is the scariest thing out there but I’m glad that every time I leave him at the hospital I either tell him that I’ll see you soon or I love you dad.

[@nate1066pollock]

This message was exactly what I needed to hear today. I have been wrestling with this issue for a very long time now. Thank you for this.

[@timmadden3039]

I have seen the sudden loss of loved ones many times.. My youngest son lost a high school friend in a small plane crash this last year. Collogues have lost loved ones. You never know when someone will be gone from your life. Years ago I saw some Star Trek memes and it prompted me to post a few of my own. One comment I received was "I was having a really bad day. I saw this and it just made my whole day better." I thought, wow, I made someone's day better and it propelled me to continue. VLogging Thru History has done the same for me. I follow and enjoy your content and follow those you review. I don't encounter many IRL that share the passion for history I have, but you make a difference to me.

[@BrandorKOB]

Man I really appreciate your stories

[@zaackingdom7633]

I needed this today, thank you.

[@jhuff415]

I needed to hear this today. Thanks for sharing.

[@joedan5366]

Everyday is a gift that is why it is called the present

[@johnroger4949]

I feel honored that you chose to share this with us. I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts on forgiveness: I was bullied during my years in elementary and middle school because my parents were not married and that was a big scandal in my little village. I used to be very bitter and angry about this, yet later in life I chose to forgive all the people who hurt me for my family situation, because I needed to move on from that. Nothing good will ever happen when there is hatred within our hearts, no matter how evil people might be. Forgiveness gives us a chance to deny hatred the power to destroy our lives, and that's why it is so important. I'm relatively still a kid as I am only 20, but God willing I shall make the most out of every single day as I pursue my education in university and hopefully achieve my dream of becoming a diplomat for my country. God bless you and your family, and thanks for all your great content.

[@ipeman8281]

Don't know if there is any sense in commenting on a 2 year old video, but i gotta say that I'm deeply moved by your story and these are some wise words you have shared with us. I could say something creative but I'm out of words, I think that there isn't anything else to be said. I hope you are doing well and may God bless you.

[@General-History101]

I teared up a little, this was incredibly helpful for me as i’m going through tough times at the moment. Thank you.

[@xixingpooh]

This is extremely helpful and wise, please do more of these.

[@johnmyster]

Loving these life lessons from one of my favorite historians

[@WaluigiPlushBros]

This is some very encouraging words Chris Thank You; I try to spend all the time I possibly can with my grandparents because I never know when they could be gone

[@djentyman4002]

I know how you feel. It hurts a lot. On Halloween 2011 I was a sophomore in high school and I lost my best friend in a car accident after school. I rewind that day in my head quite frequently and it never gets easier. I’ve accepted it but it still tears me up inside. Tomorrow is never guaranteed so live it to the fullest. Tell the people closest to you that you love them

[@josephfarina2315]

Thank you for sharing your story. I love your Vlogging Through History channel and am a Patreon member. I know this must have been hard to share with your members but it is important. Have a blessed Easter week.

[@rogerlewis1361]

Amazing stories….my condolences to your friend and your brother.

[@turdferguson7037]

Really appreciate the openness of this side channel. Thank you for sharing these stories.

[@stephenparker6362]

Hi, Chris, I found your channel accidentally and I'm really pleased I did, I love history and your videos are brilliant, they always appear impartial and I'm still getting through your old videos. I have just watched your review of the dead of WW1, which was very sobering. I really enjoy your videos on this channel as well. You are a good person, stay well.

[@micayahc.wilson8061]

Do more of these for sure. Definitely speaks to me in a current situation I’m in. I love all your channels. Thank you, brother.

[@laxbrobighitter]

As always, appreciate your openness. You remind me so much of my own dad. It’s fun hopping on for your videos and feeling like I’m listening to an Uncle.

[@beefysupreme]

This video was so perspective-changing, thank you so much for sharing and changing my view on life.

[@connor735]

I respect you a ton man, class video and I'm glad you are sharing with us, starting to absolutely love this channel, rest in peace to yer brother, danielle and her pal aswell! love from yer distant ancestral home in Europe, always welcome here mate 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙌

[@mattgregorowicz7705]

Thanks for sharing those stories Chris...What you said in less then 20 minutes is something I needed to hear for a long time now. Sometimes I often forget that life is so short, and I believe what we do here on Earth matters in the long run. I find it hard to forgive sometimes, but I honestly do realize how much better one can feel once they are relieved from all that built up anger. They can get back to living life to the fullest with those they love. Thanks for all that you do man. This whole community appreciates what you do.

[@TheClutchCanuck]

What a heartfelt, beautiful video. I greatly enjoy your passion for history but you going through your personal stores expresses that you’re a genuine soul. You truly deserve every blessing toward your life and your channel

[@GlueGuys]

Thank you so much for this video. As someone who has dealt with significant loss recently it makes me feel so much better knowing someone I respect so much has gone through similar trials and tribulations. I love all of your content, you made my day so much brighter.

[@johnlindley1604]

Chris, you always have the right thing to say. Love you man, love this channel and this VTH community

[@woodworkingDad64]

Very wise and sound advise thanks Chris!

[@DaBaSoftware]

Thank you for sharing your story. I am weeping out of gratitude for my own life and the loved ones around me. Your videos on history are great and this video and the timing it has on the context of my own life has been insurmountably moving. Thank you for the cry.

[@davemartin4183]

Chris, your so right. Your words are so very strong and true. Thank you and God bless

[@amandaluongo4713]

Thank you for making this video it's the Best way I know how to tell my family and friends I miss them and I hope if they watch this video they will think about this and realize tomorrow is not promised and neither is the next few hours or minutes.

[@Mr.Janitor]

Chris, I'm sorry about what happened with your friend and your brother. I'm sure it was rough going through those hard times. I will do my best to take you're advice so that nothing is missed. Thank you for this video sir because it has given me hope.

[@joshbosheff3888]

I love this video. I had heard about what happened to your uncle/brother back when it happened. I mentioned this a while back on a previous video of yours, but my father is related to your aunt I believe. I grew up in McDonald (my parents still live there) and I live over in Stow now. I appreciate the openness, vulnerability, and courage to share aspects of your faith and life online for people to digest and comment on. My family and I will be sure to keep you and yours in our prayers.

[@Ozai75]

We want others to judge us on our intentions, but we judge them on their actions. Something we should learn about ourselves. Thanks for your stories, Chris. Also we were running around the same area at the same age. In 98 I was a Senior at UE

[@ivkuben4022]

Thanks for sharing these stories on this channel. Hearing other people's stories always give me a lot to think about and this especially was really powerful to me. I'm young and I haven't really had anyone close to me die so I never really think about it. But yeah, anything can happen life is crazy and its too easy to think that you will always have someone around.

[@christopherjohn5575]

A year ago I realized I didn’t have a good understanding of of history. I starting researching thing and came across Chris’ channel. VRH is definitely my favorite, and Chris, I have the upmost respect for you. Thank you for these videos and everything you continue to do!

[@epicshadowdemon1211]

Absolutely beautiful my friend this is something we didn't know we needed but we did. The more we learn about you the better overall feeling of watching your channel not just for history but for you as well. my family is ancestral Irish Catholic however we aren't religious enough to be going to church, however we still hold the Valuesand Beleifs in Catholic Faith. I personally have the Rosary Beads of some of my ancestors and passed relatives, i believe i have around 6 -7 of them i think.

[@narutoboi1423]

Good message

[@costellotocustelow03]

Amazing Video chris... as always. stay safe and god bless you and your amazing family.

[@gakster29]

Thank you for sharing your stories, Chris. I recently learned how fleeting life can be myself. In January, I lost one of my very best friends to COVID. We were grad students, in the same program where I'm getting my doctorate in Philosophy. We had different backgrounds. I'm a very ethnic lefty from downstate NY who grew up in an immigrant household, he was a good-ole boy, Harley-riding former Baptist pastor from Georgia (who ended up more of a lefty than me, lol). The summer before the pandemic, his kidneys failed. But, he was still a young guy, they were able to put him on at-home dialysis and he could function pretty easily. Pandemic hit, and we were careful to keep our distance for a lot of it. As the vaccines rolled out, we started hanging out again, and I was one of his groomsmen for his wedding in October. And there was some amazing news: his new bride was a match for a kidney! By this fall, they would have done the transplant. He was about to finish his dissertation, and he lessened his teaching load* with a side gig as a woodworker. One day in December, I asked him to make a gift for my girlfriend for our first Xmas as a couple, a cutting board. We hashed out a plan via text, and I thanked him for what he was going to do for me. He replied, "You're giving me business, I should be thanking you." I, jokingly, said, "Well, then. You're welcome." He replied with a simple 'lol.' And I thought to myself how lucky I was to have him in my life. There was banter, but there was a warmth in our friendship. And he was a far more interesting person than me, but he actively wanted to help me celebrate my new relationship. I should have told him then how lucky I felt. Three days later, while on a pseudo-honeymoon, he had a seizure and contracted COVID. He was put on a respirator for weeks. Finally his wife, who is only in her mid-20's, decided to give a DNR order, and we lost him right as 2022 began. It's obviously still so raw. I dream where I see him and tell him how much I love him. And I have all these moments where I want to tell him or show him something is happening, but I can't. I'm not a person of faith, as that's just not for me. But I do recall thinking about grief and whether or not it expires in our studies. And that's an interesting philosophical question no matter what religious background you have. I would think it definitely changes over time. I won't feel this terrible for the rest of my life, but that's not expiration. I will carry his memory, and that's not a burden. His presence in my life shaped me, and will continue to do so. Even if our keeping company was brief, it's far better than not having known him at all. *-My cohorts and I frequently take jobs teaching philosophy courses at multiple colleges at a time for little money as adjuncts. It's a horrible slog that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

[@danieln.1034]

I must admit, I cried more than once during this video. But thank you for sharing, it was very meaningful

[@stephansteiner6901]

Hey Chris, when I was in school I nearly had to repeat a year because I almost failed history class. Since I found your channel, I cannot stop exploring and it really brings me joy to find out about all those old stories. I lost my father quite early in my life and that is when I found out all those things that you were talking about after sharing your stories. Since then my brothers, mom and me treat each other in such a respectful way because every second is so valuable. Everyone and everything can go so easily and it is not worth fighting over stupid things. Thanks for reminding me. Thanks for sharing your stories and just doing this in general!

[@goealshafay425]

3:00 man I hope you have this smile for the rest of your life Mr Chris cause you seems like a good man

[@Ben_Demon_Hunter]

Thank you, Chris, for sharing 🙏🙏 Perfect example, about the Scott family & forgiveness- but not their forgiveness being a pardon. Very well put. Peace be with you, your family, the Scott family & everyone, that you touch & influence 🇺🇸🙏✝️🙏🇨🇦

[@kinkachou6298]

That was one of the most beautiful, meaningful discussions I've ever seen on KZbin. I appreciate your heartfelt feelings, and it moves me to see your emotion discussing this topic. Thank you for sharing this part of yourself with us.

[@hallo_sup]

I've attempted to kill myself a couple times when i was 17 and homeless. Things went bad with my parents and I still haven't really forgiven them. They've never apologized for kicking me out or the years of abuse. I havent talked to them in years and I'm not sure if I ever will before they die, or before I do. I still deal with suicidal thoughts and have been a lot more depressed recently

[@vthextra]

Hang in there, Alex. I'm glad you're here (and I don't mean the channel, but HERE on earth). Hang in there. It will get better.

[@jasonwijaya4544]

God put you here for a reason, God did a lot for me he can help anybodh

[@linusfirmer7871]

Stay strong, Brother.

[@akashsarkar7018]

Hey brother, please don't give up this beautiful gift of life... One of my friends died of a rare chronic disease... He really wanted to live but couldn't even after fighting hard against this disease... You have the what he didn't and that is the chance to be alive .. please don't give it up I beg you!

[@hayleyf9438]

You’ll be in my prayers! I promise things will get better

[@olandolawrence9549]

Amen bro loved this one

[@DJTriesHard]

Thanks for sharing. One of my best friends, my childhood cat, and my baby cousin all died within a month very very recently. Crying everyday, scheduling dental appointments to stay busy, and surrounding myself with friends and family is what I wound up doing and they all really helped. The hardest thing lately is being there for others when youre so emotionally exhausted yourself. Last thing my friend sent me was "You're really funny, Im not just saying that" and I still have an old note from him saying "Love you man"

[@ShivamR34440]

Great video

[@NevadaLamb]

Damn. This hits so deep. 😭😭😭😭 I don’t even know what to feel. I lost my job yesterday and was so worried about my future. All I could think is I don’t want to be here anymore (2021 kicked my butt in every way possible). I got through the night without harming myself and started the job search today. I know I’ll find something and everything will be okay. I just have to hang in there. Thank you for your story Chris. I really needed to hear it. ❤

[@jeffgagne4501]

Don't wait to do that thing. Don't wait to talk to that person. Don't wait to learn that skill. Bless all you interact with and live a good and meaningful life in our short time here. Prayers to the whole channel and community. Rest easy Mom, wish we had more time!

[@bigfungus5002]

God bless you Chris, thank you for sharing a painful but very important and useful memory for our sakes, its a great thing to know we will see the ones we love again.

[@masonmorton1088]

Thank you for sharing these stories, we all love and appreciate everything you've done for your community. God bless my friend

[@benscribner2483]

Thank you for sharing. Appreciate your wisdom.

[@saiien2]

I must say that you just opened my eyes. I respect you Chris more and more and making VTH extra was a wonderful idea. I came here because of your knowledge of American civil war when I began to be interested in it. It was right at the beginning of your channel. Then I stayed because of your other content. Now I am staying because of you as a person (also still love your content :D). You're wise and you truly know what are you talking about. Thank you again. I am glad to be here.

[@yanis5846]

wow, I would have never expected a wholesome historian like you to have such an extraordinary life story.

[@racheljoy1140]

From what he's told me throughout life (as his daughter), he's had a life full of beautiful & not-so-beautiful moments. There are some days I wonder how it had to have felt inside through a lot of stories I've been told

[@isaakfrmla]

Thanks for sharing. I just lost my best friend a month ago after he battled cancer for 2 years. He passed 02/22/22 at 22 years old. It’s still really painful but taking it one day at a time

[@OttoMattak]

Sometimes forgiveness is so difficult to imagine. Especially when it's something that we doubt we would be capable of forgiving someone of. I think that that's the reason it's such a powerfully moving act.

[@crusader2112]

Thanks for sharing this Chris. This video reminds me of a line from a movie. “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called present”. Stay safe man and take care.

[@arronjenkins5006]

Hey man i appreciate you telling us this it’s not easy i lost my best friend to lupus she died young and she never thought she would pass away that day she is a amazing person better than i will ever be but i will remember her for that and be a better person every day you’re right we should check on our loved ones and check on the people we haven’t talked to in a while

[@dbach1025]

Thanks for sharing. Your stories meant a lot. Similar scenario with my mom. I had to forgive and learn with many bitter tears reconciliation is not likely for a lot of practical, safety issues. But what you said about rent free space in your head is so true. In the end, as a Christ follower, I felt strongly that if Christ can forgive me, who am I to withhold forgiveness from anyone. Speaking of how fragile and short life is, such a tragedy regarding Dwayne Haskins. I am sure you were a fan of his during his Buckeye stint. Being a Wolverine fan, i wasn't a fan of his football teams, but he sure seemed like a solid man...of which I am a huge fan God bless and thanks again for a powerful message.

[@lisahesslink2267]

When I was in high school, I earned a scholarship to spend my senior year in Germany as an exchange student. Exciting stuff - and then we learned that my grandmother's cancer had returned. One of the hardest parts about leaving after that was knowing she wouldn't be around anymore when I came back. I had lost other grandparents, but that hit the hardest because she was one of the grandparents we flew down to Texas every summer to visit when we were little. Also hard was the fact that when she died, I wouldn't go to the funeral, and I wasn't around my family. My host family was a wonderful group of people, but it just wasn't the same.

[@someokiedude9549]

One of my closest friends passed away some years ago. Completely unexpected and it was a horrible shock for all of us who knew him. I can't say that our last conversation was a bad last conversation to have, but I do feel regret that I didn't tell him how much he had meant to me. I also felt guilt that I didn't encourage him to stop taking marijuana (not being ironic, his death was caused because he was attempting to hotbox and he suffocated to death.) It doesn't hurt quite as much as it once did...but it still hurts and his loss is still affecting a lot of people now. I miss him everyday.

[@MomentsInTrading]

Fascinating story! I think there are two times that the fact that we are mortal really sinks in- One is the day we become the senior branch in our family tree (all parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older generations have passed). The other time is whenever someone you know passes who is close to your age at the time. Between the ages of 15-17, I personally knew 5 people who died in car crashes. Wacky times.

[@Melon03296]

Thank you for sharing this story. My Grandpa died in 2019 and the day before he died I could have gone and saw him but I didn’t and I regret it to this day.

[@QuintRepler]

I've been watching you for a week now and already I feel the kindred spirit of a scholar with you and your channel. May Jesus and all the angels and Saints bless you.

[@christopherlheagy]

How crazy. I am also a Christopher with a sister named Danielle, who is four years younger.

[@mythoclast142]

Very important video chris 👏 you are a legend man

[@alexbruckner8245]

This kinda reminds me of a quote I heard- “don’t say anything to someone that you can’t live with it being the last thing you said to them”

[@ssgbuddha400]

Thankyou man I've been watching your main channel and your my father figure. trying to change my life around and live a good life. from New Iberia Louisiana. RIP Danielle & your brother🕊️♥️

[@racheljoy1140]

Sending you good luck with making the changes you want to make! From personal experience with almost 17 years of being VTH's daughter, I can say that he's a wonderful dad. (I think it was a Q&A stream with my mom that I briefly hopped on the live chat for using this account; that would be my small source of evidence for that claim). My Uncle was an awesome dude, and there's little I wouldn't do to see him smile at one of my earlier birthday parties one more time. Wishing you some great days to come. Take care♥

[@ssgbuddha400]

@@racheljoy1140 i just love history and when the pandemic hit i went to online school but I live in a 900sq ft house with 5 people living in it and was difficult to do work at my house, but my parents wouldn't let me go back bc i live with my grandma who's has diabetes and high risk of corona so they wouldn't let me go back and I'm a have to b in school learner, so they took me out of school (basically dropped out) and for a year that rlly kinda hurt me i missed the good times and opportunities. Now I'm 18 and close to getting my GED it's been rough without a dad but i know i can do it. Thanks for talking to me Rachel Have a great day if you read this far lol

[@kainny2000]

Wow yes, you are totally right. I had that same feeling a couple of weeks ago. I had a highschool friend whom I lost contact with because I graduated a couple years ago. I saw her often at the gym but kind of from afar because usually we would go at different times and we would be at different areas of the gym so I always postponed the idea of going up to her to at least say hi. Well long story short, one night she got killed by her abusive boyfriend and everyone felt horrible. The idea that they could've done something different to prevent this was inevitable. I had another friend that was calling me crying because she felt terrible, they were mad at each other and she felt responsible for letting things stay that way and because, really deep inside, my friend thought that was going to end one day and they would be friends eventually. Never depend on tomorrow because you never know if it's going to be the way you believe it's going to be.

[@michaeltheknight2004]

Genuinely the nicest guy on KZbin. Completely glued to his videos, especially the travels to France. I’m going to move to Steubenville for college. Would love to have a drink or pick up some grub with you some day. God bless brother.

[@vthextra]

Thanks Michael! Going to the Franciscan school there?

[@michaeltheknight2004]

@@vthextra Yes, if everything works out as planned I’ll be majoring in history with a minor in French!

[@professorwhat2704]

A true friend is a rare and valuable gift. As you shared that, I thought about people I've cared about over the years that have passed away. In most cases, I had no idea that the last time I talked to them would be the last time. I don't want to live under a cloud of grief, but I really believe that giving this sort of thing frequent consideration would be healthy. Better to have some sobering moments than years of regrets. Oh, and I remember dialup. The stuff I remember was 5KBps, and that was miserable enough. For those too young to remember, think waiting multiple minutes for one image to load. And what I'm talking about is far faster than what Chris mentioned on that Commodore computer.

[@nickshaffer9961]

I remember dial up lol. And having to get off the internet when the phone rang. But what stories to share and experiences like that definitely shape who we become. I’ve lost high schooo friends to suicide and now make it a point to try to be more involved with people. Especially those I know have mental issues or personal issues. They were 2 I never would have thought would do that, but they did. Thank you for sharing and opening yourself up a little more to us. Hopefully it will help someone else be able to over come something they are going through right now.

[@MomentsInTrading]

When I was young in the 70’s, not only were phones dial up, but they didn’t plug in; they were hardwired into the wall. You got your phone from the phone company and a guy from the phone company had to come out and install it. I also had a slow dial up modem in the 90s. I remember really spending a lot on AOL when they originally charged by the hour 😂

[@nickshaffer9961]

@@MomentsInTrading I remember when we first got cable how much of a big deal that was. I used a wall mounted telephone as well as a rotary phone. And to make matters worse, had to REMEMBER peoples phone numbers. The horror nowadays lol

[@ericsteele6941]

Very moving story, Chris. Do you plan on ever making a video about how religion is important to you/ your faith journey?

[@lancelottheocelot]

Thank you Chris

[@i_are_penguin805]

i lost my brother on november, 18, 2017 when i was 10 me and my entire family were absolutely devastated my mom especially as he was her first kid he died when he was just 28 i dealt with depression for a long time after that and it it took a long time for me to realize that he departed to a better place for eternity. The next year in 2018 one of my grandmothers on my fathers side passed away on the day before the anniversary of my brothers death i was still very saddened by this news. But i was no where near as close to her as i was with my brother before he passed and this was due to my father and his parents having a very rocky relationship. I didnt attend her funeral under my fathers suggestion because my grandfather was being very immature and was undermining everybody elses grief and suffering. Then last year on march 3rd my grandmother on my moms side passed away i wasnt extremely close to her do to strife within the family but we were repairing relationships with her because she was having health complications and we wanted to get closer to her in the event she did pass i saw her a total of 2 times in that year before she passed because i didnt feel like driving the measly 1 hour and 30 mins to the town she lived in im still currently battling with myself on why, why didnt i go to spend time with her i shouldve realized after losing 2 family members that life is too short and that our relationships with other people is the biggest gift that we are given i realize now having lost 3 of my family members who i all cared about greatly that life isnt eternal that we need to make the best of the opportunities we are gifted

[@vichikes]

Thanks for sharing

[@michaelblagrave7648]

But sometimes it is not over something stupid. I had a bad fallout with my brother over a bad divorce I was going thru. We did not speak to each other for 4 years. I decided to end it, and drive 1200 miles to show up on his doorstep unannounced in Thankgiving to repair what we had destroyed. What had happened was just never discussed and we went from there. He died of cancer 6 years later, and I miss him so much. But i am thankful every day that we fixed what was broken. Love you brother

[@franciskafayeszter4138]

My story is a little different to yours, but I also had a hard time to accept that things happened as they did. I had a classmate, who was liked by basically everyone in the class. He could laugh and goof around with any of us, but he could have great compassion with anyone who had a hard time. One year after we graduated I've got an email, that he had committed suicide. I was shaken to the core. He was the first person of my age whom I have lost, I couldn't believe it at first (I thought that email was just a bad joke). Two months after his death I was studying criminal law (I went to law school at the time). I was preparing for an exam about the various mental illnesses, that can affect the culpability of a defendant. When I got to bipolar disorder, I began to cry. The symptoms of a typical case of this mental illness were a perfect description of my former classmate, who committed suicide just recently. Of course this is not the same as an actual diagnose, but I was sure (and I am to this day), that he was struggling with bipolar disorder (or something like that). Maybe if he had survived just two more months, I might could have done something. At least saying 'Hey, I think you have some heavy burden to carry. Let us help you' or something like that. I know, that I'm not responsible for his death, but I wonder if I could have helped him, if I had knew, that he struggles with bipolar disorder (or something very similar) before he decided to end his own life.

[@williamgallucci9913]

Love your video I'm scribed

[@CodyChepa88]

thanks for talking about this with us. Always here for you Chris. Lost my Great Grandfather in 2017 and he was my best friend and father. My Great Grandmother and my mother had fights and because of that his last 3 years alive I wasn't allowed to talk to him. so I know the pain of losing someone so special to you. Keep up the good work and I'm loving the new channel👍