No News is Good News

I was in the coffee shop writing my blog and met a family friend who came up to speak with me for a moment.  During our conversation I asked about her son who recently enlisted in the Navy.  She said I don’t know.   She said when her son went into the service she was told “no news is good news.”  It got me to thinking about the sacrifices being made by families all over this country, who have to live with “no news being good news.” 

She said the day he left he went with nothing but the clothes on his back.  The service would not let him take anything with him.  She recounted the story of when her daughter went to college, and how the family was involved in every aspect of getting her settled into her dorm.  But in the case of her son, she could not do anything, but hug him and let him go. 

As I write this post I am filled with appreciation for our men and women who serve our country.  I want to say thank you to all of the mothers and fathers who raise and support young men and women who want to serve their country.  

You could see the pride and the love in her eyes for her son and her support for his decision to serve his country. 

She said “as a parent you want to send your children out into the world prepared with everything they need to succeed.”  I say by giving him love and encouragement, she has given him two of the most important things he will need to succeed.  In the end, this mother said she could not do anything but let him go.  She too is a hero and her family’s sacrifice EPIC!

Dinner at Six

I don’t know about you, but in our house sometimes the dining room table can be used as a work space and catchall.  This has been the primary reason why we have not eaten together at the table as a family.  This week my wife was able to clear everything away and we were able to have dinner together at the table.  It’s been so long that if the table could speak it would ask, “Who are you people?”

With light music playing in the background we all sat around the dining room table to take advantage of a rare opportunity, dinner together.  With all of our busy schedules we have not had the pleasure of sitting down as a family to eat together for such a long time.  Most of the time when we do eat together it is in the living room around the television looking at either a movie or a sporting event.  Don’t get me wrong any time together can be a good thing.  However, there is something really special about dinner time in the dining room.  Instead of everyone grabbing a plate, the table is set and food is served family style. 

Last evening it was especially enjoyable as we talked about music and the events of the day.  We were really able to connect with each other in a way that was authentic.  With a steaming plate of pasta and lightly toasted French bread in front of us, my daughter said this was a great start to a great weekend! 

With families being pulled apart by frantic schedules and kids hanging out with friends instead of family, we need to reaffirm our commitment to the tradition of eating together.  I have committed to our family that we eat together at least three (3) times a week and one meal on the weekend.

How many times a week do you eat together as a family and what do you see as the benefits?

Kilroy Was Here

I am a big fan of Bugs Bunny.

I have practically memorized many episodes, but there is one that particularly sticks with me.  You may remember it too.  In this episode, Bugs Bunny goes to the moon.  While he is walking on the moon he passes a big rock with graffiti written on it saying “Kilroy was here.” 

I was always curious about this mysterious Kilroy so I did a little digging to find out who he was.  It turns out that during WWII there was a shipyard inspector named James J. Kilroy. He chalked the words “Kilroy was here” on bulkheads to show that he had been there and inspected the riveting in the newly constructed ship. To the troops in those ships, however, it was a complete mystery — all they knew for sure was that he had "been there first." As a joke, they began placing the phrase as graffiti wherever they (the US forces) landed or went, claiming it was already there when they arrived.

It made me think, when I leave this earth what kind of graffiti will I leave behind and will God be pleased with it?  I may not have been here first, but I was here.

Recently, I was having a little quiet time thinking about life, my goals, my dreams and I thought about the things I have yet to accomplish.  Now that I am over 50 it seems as though I think more about my own mortality.  I asked myself the question:  am I satisfied with my life and the things that I have accomplished?   Being honest, I had to say no.  This does not mean that I am not happy; I just know there is more that I want to accomplish.  I want to serve and love people more.  That’s the legacy I want to leave. 

Leaving a legacy means living for others, helping, serving, and leading others in a way that helps them achieve their dreams.   When I think of people who have had the greatest positive impact on the world, they are servant leaders.  We look back on their lives and think about their contributions and how they continue to have an influence on our society. 

Loving my wife, kids, family and friends is my focus.  I pray that I am having a positive influence on their lives.  Like Kilroy I want to write on the hearts of the people that have been placed in my path.   

What kind of graffiti do you want to leave behind to show that you were here?    

The Incredible Mr. Williams

Many of you have probably heard by now the story about homeless man, Ted Williams, who has come to sudden fame because of his amazing and unexpected talent.  While standing at an intersection panhandling, he captivated motorists with his unique and classic resonant radio voice. As people stopped to give him cash, he treated them to the sound of a voice that made the words “Thank you” sing.  Most were pleasantly taken aback by his incredible voice.  How could that voice come out of a man who looked so disheveled and unkempt?

When interviewed, Mr. Williams related his story of how he had lost everything—home, family, radio career to years of drug and alcohol abuse, not to mention various scrapes with the law over crimes committed to support his drug habit.  He marveled that through all that, his voice had not suffered from the ravages of his addiction.  He said it was God who had spared his voice in spite of the acid he poured down his throat and that getting a second chance was a dream and a prayer. 

Why am I writing about this man?  Because his life can serve as an example of how life can change on a dime for someone who stays positive and uses the gifts that they have been blessed with. 

Have you suffered the loss of your job, home or family as a result of choices you have made?  If the answer is yes, take heart as your story is not finished.  You too have a gift to offer the world?  Can you sing, lead, coach, serve, love, or speak in a way that will inspire?  Then get up and move.  Don’t let circumstances stand in the way of you making a positive impact in the lives of others.  If your misfortune has you feeling down, I dare you to get up and be the person you were designed to be! 

America is the land of second chances and we love to root for the underdog.  Let’s pray that he stays on the right track and when his life is over he can be celebrated and remembered as The Incredible Mr. Williams.