Milliron Monday: It's the Life in Your Years 6 15 2020

Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. 

It’s the life in your years.  – Abraham Lincoln

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire. 

June 16, 1938. It must have been an exciting time for Pete's mother, Betty. Her second child, a son, Abbott Pliny Smith III - Pete for short, as the story goes, the neighbor lady thought Abbott looked like a Pete. Pete's mother and father agreed. The rest is history.

Abraham Lincoln wrote,"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."  A full life, Pete made the life in his years count. There were times of accolades and achievements; happy moments that made life worth living. Errors, maybe. Regrets, I don't know. We can speculate. But even errors and regrets add up to great experiences and things to write about later. And even those we can smile or laugh about now, in hindsight. 

Last Friday, I spent the day with Jody. We traveled to Marietta to see a mutual friend. I enjoy time with Jody. It's over an hour drive to Marietta, and I wish I had my recorder on because she always has a new Pete story to tell, or a twist on an old story. After all this time, the tales just keep coming. Tales of "life in your years." Scenarios filled with living, adventure, serendipity, reconciliation, renewal, and more. How many hundreds of people did Pete reach in his lifetime? How many animals did he save? How many times did his signature laugh fill the halls of Milliron Clinic? How many times have you thought about Pete and said to yourself, I wish I could tell Pete about...

Today, a day early, we celebrate Pete and his birthday. Pete would not want the fuss. Birthdays were "just another day" where work took precedence. I'm sure, however, if I offered to take him out for lunch on his birthday, he would not say no.

Have a great week ahead!

Connect with Gina

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.