Father's Day 2013

It is truly a gift being a father.Perhaps it is easier to see that after all one's kids are grown.You think your active days of parenting will never end and you blink and your last child is graduating high school.There are things I would have done differently.Less emphasis on sports more on music and art.I would have taken more vacations ,built more sand castles,and showed the kids more pictures of their grand daddy who they never got to meet.I'd say a prayer with them every day and we would memorize Bible verses together because you just never know when one might come in handy.Aside from any regrets I may have I won the lottery with my kids.They are all everything I could have dreamed them to be and more. I wouldn't have been a father without Jolene. She is everything one would want in a Mom ,which makes being a father so much easier.In the final talley we all would change things we would have done and sometimes in spite of or because of what we do things turn out all right.My kids and grand kids have given me the chance to love and experience love in return and it just doesn't get any better than that

Long time Gone: #37

Long time Gone: #37: Where do I start.The first time I saw her she was a skinny 9th grader.She was so friendly.Little did I know then that we would one day mar...

#37

Where do I start.The first time I saw her she was a skinny 9th grader.She was so friendly.Little did I know then that we would one day marry and raise a family together.We owe a lot to our friend Terri who suggested that we play Rook one night.That lead to listening to the Eagles,sitting in her backyard swing and wondering which way the waves move in the middle of the ocean.We married at Frost Chapel on the Berry College campus and our journey began.No one can explain this amazing thing called love.If you are lucky you do enough things right that the ride is not too bumpy .And if it gets rough you simply hold hands and stick together.Jolene encouraged me to be a chiropractor,I might be a disgruntled teacher or locked in a less rewarding field without her.She wanted 3 kids I was happy with 2 .I would have missed out on Justin-I can't even imagine that.We got into foster care because of her big heart.That experience changed us all and hopefully a few kids along the way.Five years ago she showed me more grace than one person deserves.Most of the things I cherish and hold close to my heart are things she brought into my life.In the movie As Good As It Gets Jack Nickolson says "you make me want to be a better man".Jolene ,you have made me a better man.