Say it while you can

“The king covered his face and cried aloud, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absolom, my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 19:4
After David’s affair with Bathsheba, trouble never stopped brewing within his family. Absalom, his third son (2 Sam. 3:3) was striking in appearance and through smooth words turned the hearts of Israel away from David to himself. David fled Jerusalem, and in due course Absalom was advised to send out armies to kill him and his men. But in the battle, Absalom became caught in a tree by his hair, and Joab struck him and killed him. This so grieved David that the whole army returned to Jerusalem in mourning, instead of celebration.
David’s display of emotion here for Absalom had never been shown to him while he was alive. Absalom had killed his half-brother Amnon because of what he had done to his sister Tamar, and fled to the land of the Philistines. Even though David longed to see him, he did not send for him (2 Sam. 13:37-39). Then when Joab encouraged David to bring Absalom back, he lived in Jersualem for two years without seeing his father (2 Sam. 14:28). It would seem that David was very ‘hands-off’ with all of his sons (see 1 Kin. 1:6).
We can learn many lessons from this about the importance of discipline and communication in the family. Don’t wait until it’s too late.