Fathers'

Whether you know yours or not, you have one. I have many friends who do not have good memories or relationships with theirs. They are estranged. When they talk of their father it is often with an abrupt statement or closed body language. There is evidently hurt for that loss; loss of time, loss of history, loss of guidance, loss of approval, loss of love. It is indeed a death. A part of them is lost and they can not find the 'filler' to complete or fill that empty space.

Then I have some who are still close to their fathers or at least have a relationship. They can tell stories, they can complain, brag, cry, laugh or roll their eyes as they recall a moment or event. Indeed, whether it is positive or negative, it 'is' and they are connected.

I have watched fathers. It is actually a great past time for me. There is something about a father who is present. You know what I mean. They see their child, they know what makes them tick, they understand them. And that electricity is captured in the response of that child. It is magnetic. They cling to them, their words, their actions, their spirit. They want to be with them, to be like them. That is the prize for every father I think, that their children strive to follow in their footsteps.

And as fathers, the opportunity is fleeting, a once in a lifetime experience, literally! The moment is here today, gone tomorrow. Like that famous song, you know, cats in cradles eating from silvers spoons or some such. Before we know it the kid is grown up, gone and a father, while their dad is still listening to old Roger Miller records and burning the midnight oil. Every moment counts, and every moment is gone in a flash, never to be captured again. All the more reason to be certain that you are walking a straight path, one that is safe, righteous, true. You do not want to lead your children down a road that causes them to fall or stumble, but to be successful. Those that make the most of those moments will provide a lifetime of treasure to their child, a toolkit to survive in any situation.

So, on this father's day I pay a tribute to the 'fathers' in my world. I have seen some awesome examples of those who wear the title of 'Father'. Some are VERY seasoned, and I do mean old as well as experienced. Some are just now setting out on the journey. In either case, they 'are' fathers' who are making a difference in their world.

A Father's love is handed down from one generation to the next.

 It may be in a gentle spirit, a quiet smile, patience....in giving the gift of time.

A father's love is evident in action, words, and presence.

It is stopping the madness to sing, dance or hang out, doing whatever it is that needs to be done.

A father's love is shown in the pride he takes in his children, the joy in their accomplishments.

A closet full of memories and boxes full of photos ready to be shared at a moments notice.

A father's love is evident in the celebration of new life and excitement for the milestones met.

It is in the joy of a new family, reading everything he can and gaining hope for the years to come.

A father's love speaks loud and clear in the quiet thrill of seeing a picture of your unborn son

and waiting anxiously for his arrival.

It is transparent in the tweets and posts that show the anticipation for the days ahead.

A father's love is obvious in the freedom to just 'be' whatever it is that his son needs him to be.

It is playing with silly string or wearing a handmade mustache. It is playing, uninhibited!

 

These are traits of some remarkable fathers. I am so proud of the commitment to their families.

But the Gold Standard in my life remains my father. Truly, in all my years I do not have a single bad memory or misstep. He never missed a beat. He smiled, laughed, joked, played, dreamt, DID just about everything we could possibly throw his way. He loved it! Whether rescuing your finger from a man eating lizard to teaching you to build and fly radio control airplanes to sitting in an arena full of screaming teens waiting to see The Osmond's, he did it all. AND he enjoyed it. He genuinely wanted to be there....if he didn't we will never know! He even told stories about it years after, adding a detail or two, but reliving it with us over and over. It mattered. We mattered!

And for that I am eternally grateful.  

 

We indeed had the BEST FATHER and it is with confidence I am certain he is celebrating the most remarkable Fathers day of all. Thank you dad for always being there. For loving us unconditionally. For making every day an adventure. For making us feel special, loved, wonderful! Thank you dad!

 I love you always.

 

SUMMER.......So Glad I Made It!

Yes there were times I was not sure that it was meant to be. Summer I mean. Seemed as if it would never get here. So what on earth has happened since my last post. You remember, I was celebrating my brothers aging. I believe shortly there after I began to lose control of, well, my mind! I may very well be the baby, but oh baby, I may well be the first to go. Ha. So here is the update. When last we met, I was departing the Nebraska town of Gordon. Wonderful visit, never long enough, with my nephew Ethan and wife Sara. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my great nephew (Ewan.......shhhhh, I am not aloud to say his name).

As I headed toward Wyoming a great diversion was created by.........................

Yes indeed, a blizzard. April, and in four states. That is right, I threw a snowball in four states and it was never above 40 degrees. Folks, when I asked my son if he would rather live in the snow his quick reply was "Oh No mom, it is much better to be warm!" If this was a sermon it would be followed with a hearty AMEN!!! Yikes, I am truly an Arizonan. Ha.

Well, the trip took us to Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and back to Colorado. And I can tell you that while I laughed at Cody when he ran through the warm parking garage to hug our car, Flashy, I nearly joined him. Oh how we missed you Flashy! Home at last.

Then everything hit all at once:

Special Olympics Banquet - Our high school now provides athletic recognition and letters to participating athletes. COOL. Best Buddies, unified athletes and the Special Olympic participants were treated to a DVD of many accomplishments, video clips and speeches by their typical peers. Awesome.

Graduation - 1000 of our closest friends graduated this year. Seriously, 7 of Cody's close friends graduated this year. And the closer was a real tear jerker as the last classmate called forward, normally restricted to a wheelchair, was helped to stand and walk across the stage with his Best Buddy. The coliseum went wild. I love this school which in every way seeks to integrate and gain acceptance for our special kids as well.

Graduation Receptions - 1000 of our closest friends had receptions. We traveled to a lot of places and ate a lot of fruit and gluten free snacks we packed. Good times with friends.

We in the midst of this found out our dear friend, Miss Melinda, has breast cancer. She is one of Cody's favoritist people in the world. She works at UCP and has known him since day one. She has had surgery and now we wait to find out about the treatment plan. Lon road coming and she will need support, spiritual, emotional and financial, in the months to come. Fortunately her hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ her righteousness.....great song too, if you don't know it. An oldie but goodie!!!

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

So then lets see, my mother had another fall. Back to the ER then the doctor. She is having more trouble with  balance, and memory. It is the hardest part, watching your parents struggle. But her humor is good and her countenance has been strong. We have a new snappy red walker. It is quite the eye catcher.

Rich continues to work at Calvary Community Church. Train complete, he has moved on to benches and kiosks. His woodworking is so wonderful. I wish I had a shop and a shingle. He enjoys working with his team there. Good peeps!! Golf of course is his entertainment of choice. Scratch is not bad after all.

I continue to work for Banner Health. It is a great lot of fun as I enjoy the education build and design work and of course management. I have a great team. They are so 'in' to whatever they are asked to do. That is a rare quality indeed. I never have the complaints that I hear from other leaders. My team, they are a gift. And my partner in crime, Gayle, awesome!

There it is. You are caught up on the world of me:-)

And I hope to be back on schedule with keeping you informed and entertained.

I am off to the land of nod. And boy do I need it this week. :-)

TTFN.

"BOOM"

Whether it is the sound of rockets going off on the fourth of July or the lowering of it, TODAY is the day! He is 60. What a glorious day. Indeed, the sun came up, the snow melted and oh yes, he had to go to work. But all in all it is a great day for the birthday. His mom was so excited she thought it was last week. Not sure if that means it seems like he has been around forever or if it is a sign of things to come. After all, look at all the announcements that were sent to let the world know he had arrived.......and clearly how many documents it takes for us to remember when that was.

What a great journey this brother/son/teacher/father/soldier/uncle/grandfather/friend has had. Like the petrified forest, it seems he has lived forever. Seriously! He has indeed grown taller, stronger, wiser, thinner......well something is thinner. But I digress. So how do you celebrate this great day?

A quick trip to the farm for a birthday cake (thank you sister) and a gift that is sure to entertain,  amuse, frustrate, remind him how much he is loved. Electronics are the best test ever of age and agility and tendencies for aggression:-) If all else fails, just EAT CAKE, right? Well once we peeled the layer of wax off the cake it was smooth sailing.

And it is the best fun ever to recall his greatest accomplishments.

I think the photos will speak for themselves:-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Brother. We are blessed always to have you as our brother ............slightly concerned............but blessed! Enjoy the next 60 years.

20 more....................then POOF!

Just think of the amazing things a new mother is planning when she sees the 'daylight' of delivery. Any day we are having a 'thing'...............okay, a sidebar here. While this may appear a lack of sensitivity or a jib, you will recall this was right after electricity and long before level 3 ultrasounds that showed the color of nail polish in-utero.........back to the rejoicing. It will be sweet, pink and cuddly. It will love it's mom and dad and follow all the rules. It will be very smart and take after......here I demur to become involved in taking sides. But clearly it would take after someone. And indeed, he did!

That whole thing with wheels piece we discussed earlier. Went from bikes and toys to road rallies through the woods of Virginia and an assortment of other tire kicking adventures including a black charger. He and his chum would pack the car, one driving and the other one yelling at the one driving with the ultimate goal of navigating roads with encrypted clues and a stop watch. Good times. Everyone came home, cars dinged but no one died.

And then there was the running around fields playing soccer. While I clearly have no recollection of these earlier sports if he moved even slightly more than his nephew on the field he was a rock star. But lets not focus on these things, his head is already quite large and shiny. OOOOH I am going to hear about that. Well for today we know he is a mover and a shaker, a run and get it kind of guy.

His skill set is so grand that he almost single handed directed the construction of the Christmas 'chain'. Well he may have had a little help, but needless to say he is a wizard with tape. This little project was so treasured by his parents that it won a special holiday box for storage so that it would not be damaged. Did I mention this was made at the same time as the photo which displays it? Well, not to worry. Many great craftsmen start at a later age in life. and he did have the help of two talkative sisters and a young nephew who had learned the craft ..............................at school!

I have a zillion fond memories of brother! He is loyal, loving and funny. He has no problem taking care of whatever task is at hand. At the drop of the hat he is there to video tape games and performances, take a neighbor to the doctor or get friends to town central for the annual painting of the shamrock.

He puts up with a lot as well. After all he has two talkative sisters and a family who excels at reminding him of things such as how very old he is! But not to worry, even if he tries we won't let him forget.......anything. After all isn't that what the Internet is for? I think it is clear that if someone was looking for the oldest guy in town, his name is moving up the list. If they look for the best brother? He is at the top, bar none!

Wow.....that's old!

Yes I could be talking about Dale, but,.....wait, who am I kidding. I AM talking about him! Love you brother. Anyway, 46 days and counting. I was looking through the archives as was our fearless leader/elder/sister and found evidence of the cuteness of early "Dale". Yes it is hard to believe that civilization had such technology but as you can see, if it had wheels and an engine he was there. Thanks dad.

And I believe he is the one who proved, if you build it they will come........

..........just didn't realize it would be with a few neighbors and a camera. Matter of fact everything accomplished prior to moving out of the house seems to have some sort of pictorial history available. George Washington would have given his false teeth for such records.

For example the celebration feasts. This adorable and I am sure yummy cake will not meet his needs or taste for long as he eventually traded in his 'kiddie frosting' for German Chocolate cake made from scratch. Thanks mom! And I am not sure where they landed, but my guess is that one day when his clothes were tossed off for the day he hid those suspenders....I am just saying. Moms' always love slicked back hair and cute little boy clothes but one day those security devices always become part of a train or imaginary reigns or are used as sling shots. But the boots, now those are always good, no  matter how old. Right?

So as we approach the day you can see Dale is full of adventure and he is going to take us all along for the ride. I personally would wait until he is out of diapers and could see over the wheel while seated.
\

53 days give or take......

Time zone is everything you know. It could be today, tomorrow or yesterday depending on where you live right? So you may right now be going to bed, the sky is dark, the coffee is off. Or you could be having lunch, drinking your fifth cup of coffee thinking how you wish you could get some sleep. Tomorrow.......this will be me:-)

So that time zone thing it fits into the story of Dale. You see his father was a storm chaser in the Air Force for one of his assignments. This required flying off one of the tiniest airstrips in the world at a moments notice. At that time, the island was inhabited by military men, locals, lizards and roaches. This is what I have been told anyway. Only a handful of cars and mopeds. Mother described seeing the ceiling move whenever the lights were off. And I am told somewhere there is a terrified lizard who tried to eat my sister, but that is another story. Back to Dale.

He would start his days in Bermuda, a British territory. This could explain his accent. And of course being British it would only be a matter of time before he would beg for haggis and room temperature fluids. Well okay, he eats gizzards, turtles and green beer but you know, same thing.  Despite our strong family lineage, I still can not adapt to English cooking. I relate to the Cranes as they talk about Daphne's cooking. And if you have no idea who they are you need a tv.

56 more to go......but who is keeping track:-0

Wait, that would be me. I have made a commitment to respect my elders. After all, it is scriptural to care for the elderly and mash their food......feed them, something like that. I am prepared for the task what ever that might be. Of course, the question is, is HE ready for me? I know that he had one lovely older sister to 'train' him up and now a spry young one to prevent him from falling off that train! It is a big job but someone needs to do it.

So lets see what the world was doing in those pre-Dale moments. Babe Didrikson-Zaharias won the LPGA Sarasota Open. Television stations went on the air for the first time in Wichita Falls, TX, Tacoma-Seattle, WA and Altoona, PA. Television BEGAN! And one of the most famous people to fill our screens for the next 60 years was born, Ron Howard. Most intriguing, a nerve was discovered, or impinged or irritated, or some such. And they discovered there is a correlation between finger numbness and cold winds. Yes, it is true and it is recorded in the Journal of Physiology. Personally I am thinking a walk outside in the winter to get your saber tooth coat off the river rock may have rendered that information but it took thousands of years to write it down. These certainly were remarkable times of technology and research..........

A few more weeks and joy would come to the island. Yes, born a foreigner. But there is more to come on this topic. So settle in for the next installment, and of course prepare to celebrate 3/5 of a century with my bestest brother.