Once again... it's been quite a while since I visited these pages. Well, not literally. I've actually been here a lot - just not posting.None-the-less, I'm here, trying to write something I've struggled with since Fathers Day. How appropriate (sarcasm) that on a day named for fathers, I couldn't come up with anything to say.
I'll be brief today, to avoid using up what little creativity I've found, on pages that are barely (if at all) even read anymore. But Dad has been so heavy on my mind (and most likely, I'm not alone there) lately that I needed to get some of it out.
So where have we been since the end of May? Busy, busy, busy!
Dina has been up to her eyeballs in PTA and other school business. Austin & Elijah were finishing strong with their school years, awards assemblies, field days, etc., and me trying to get & keep work on track.
Take that & throw in a few birthdays, WalkAmerica, Relay for Life and more... Whew, at least summer break is finally here, right?
Anyway, after much dread - Fathers Day and many of these other events turned out to be wonderful days after all! Days full of sadness, laughter, tears & memories (new ones & old ones). Most of the 'functions' we've had in the past month or two, were events Dad wouldn't have missed. That made missing him a pretty big part of those events.
At times, we still struggle to focus less on the negative aspects of missing Dad, and instead more on the positive influence he had & continues to have on my family & I.
Dad was (and is) a true motivator! That motivation is definitely a part of why we (and here... I can only speak for Dina & the boys) do many of the things we do. He taught us that being part of the community you live in means nothing without being an ACTIVE part!
And not for the rewards you may receive tangibly... but for the intangible rewards waiting for you and for others God touches through you.
You folks remember the way Dad went through life. Did it matter where you saw him? At the local mini-market; a Mariners game; the mall or the church? Of course not... Dad saw value in EVERY moment. And was full of excitement - no matter the event.
So, I guess that's the lean this post is taking. Get busy, get active, get involved. Be part of the community you live in. And strive to make a positive mark on that community! Dina has been told so many times by people that you "can't save every child" when discussing neighborhoods, and schools, and parents, etc.
Her response continues to be one that Dad embodied as well. You may not be able to save them all, but that shouldn't stop you from trying! You never know how much a little positive influence can have on those around you. Sometimes, it takes no more than a smile to change someones day.
Be that smile. Make the effort!!
Get excited about life - Do the Toyota Jump!
Johnny