23 June 2011
For Mom and Dad
We’re finally here after more than a year of anticipation & planning. Celebrating 50 years of devotion plus the years you dated.
When we’re young we tend to look at our family and parents and experiences as “the norm” because it’s what is normal for us. But as we’ve grown up and meet others and learn of what their families are like we’ve learned that this familly that grandma and grandpa made is very ABNORMAL. There was no abuse, yelling, physical, substance, psychological…well, maybe psychological in teasing, but we won’t go there anymore. The Qualities I see you as having passed on are: You were and are:
· Loyal
· Hardworking
· Self-sacrificing
· Disciplined
· Honest
· Putting God and his Kingdom first- Jesus is not merely your Savior, he’s your Lord & iintimate friend.
Other things you’ve passed on are:
· Passion for sports especially PAC 10 and NCAA
· Love of Beach/Ocean
· Camping
· Organizing Parties and making fun for friends
· Make home a place people want to hang out and visit often
In the Past…
Growing up as your child, other kids were always envious. You were young and energetic. You both have loved life and saw it as an adventure and found fun ways to include others, expand our small family, make our home a fun place to play, practice generosity in more ways than putting money in the offering plate.
I can’t remember a time that you weren’t sponsors for church activities that Kevin and I were in involved in Jr. Astronauts, Head of Christian Education at Magnolia, Pioneer Girls and Boys Brigade on Wednesdays. You seemed to love spending time with us and our friends no matter what age we were. You created a family that was enjoyable even into our teens we enjoyed being with you because you enjoyed us.
Dad:
From my perspective as a kid, you had a job in order to support the family. It didn’t matter so much what you did, your heart wasn’t focused on career. Your ambition was always for your family and helping others. We had plenty and saw how hard working and selfless you are. That’s one of your qualities that I think has had the biggest influence on me: and that’s why it’s been so sweetly gratifying to see you be able to walk in this giving role 100% of your time these past years.
Mom:
Through our childhood, you worked full time + drill team. You never once, that I can remember, complained about the workload of caring for the family, long commute and teaching (you may have made some cracks about the best months being June, July and August, or about middle schoolers being irritating, but you wouldn’t have stayed at Oak Ave School, if you didn’t like kids that age!) Whenever I whine about the laundry or admit that I don’t cook, I feel like a wimp! You carried a big responsibility and did it with grace and with what seems like limitless energy and reserves.
Ambition & Your Legacy:
Recently I was having a conversation with someone about ambition and significance, two drives I have in abundance, and was fostered in our family that taught us to go for it, to try for things to work at being the best we can be, and that anything is possible.
I used to dream of being the #1 best in the world at something, to find my niche and be world class at it. Be famous, be the kind of person others write biographies about. That’s what I’d grown to believe significance was.
But I was looking at where I was at this point and being realistic. I realize I do have something I’m capable of becoming “world class” in, and that is in being a “world class lover of people.”
It’s something I had good training in from the time I was tiny, with you two as parents modeling for me: I can be a
World Class Lover of People.
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