My Girls

Gabby graduated high school last week.  Angel finishes elementary school next week.  As a father I could not be more proud of both of them.  With everything they have been through they have not only kept their grades up they have excelled.  Gabby was a mid-term graduate.  Angel has consistently tested advanced at the state level each year.  I am blessed and grateful when I think of what they have done and know what they are capable of doing in the future.  I frequently find myself wanting to just sit back and watch them.  They are so smart, loving, compassionate and funny.  They love each other unconditionally and support each other in every way.  They have a very unique and special relationship and you can see the strength they give each other.  They are very funny, especially when teaming up on their father for a Pick on Papa session.  I pray that they always keep this closeness.  It wasn't always there but they have realized how much they love each other and have done everything possible to show and grow that love each day.  

Watching them grow and mature has been the thrill of my life.  I will continue to be thrilled, amazed and proud of them forever.  I still stop and think about my own childhood & early adult years and wonder how I ever got from there to having daughters.  With each day I will give thanks and praise to God for giving me two such special girls. 

I Am Me And I Am Human

Inspired by  Not That Different, a song from Collin Raye

I laugh,
I love,
I hope,
I try.
I hurt,
I need,
I fear,
I cry.

I laugh because my wonderful Angel fills my days with fun.

I love because it it feels so good and it is so easy to do.

I hope because without it I am no longer looking forward.

I try because I don't know if I will succeed or fail.

I hurt because nothing I do is ever guaranteed to make me happy.

I need because I am not perfect and I do not have all the answers.

I fear because eyes cannot see the unknown and my heart cannot feel the unknown.

I cry because it cleanses my fearful mind & heart and allows me to begin to heal.

I Am Me And I Am Human

Tolerance

Tolerance or toleration a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

Seeing this definition I have to ask if many people have ever read it.  It seems to me that anytime I hear tolerance used it is only being discussed on one side of the argument.  That seems a little self defeating to me.  The more noise, arguments and publicity given to whatever folks choose to complaint about merely serves as more fuel on the proverbial fire.  

We praise our country as being free while at the same time we seem to seek to restrict opinion and speech if it doesn't agree with this week's cause. When did the ability to have an opinion and state that opinion become wrong?  Good, bad or neutral every person has a right to their own opinion and should not be persecuted or prosecuted for expressing that opinion.

Preach not with one hand while the other swings a murderous sword.

I have heard many people preach The Word of God one day and swear blind allegiance and willingness to bring violence against the "enemies" of their friends the next day.  To you I ask "Where in the Bible does it tell you this is right?"

When I was a boy I was taught quite simply if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.  There is a fine line between this and expressing your own opinion.  We all know there are many people that profess hate, bigotry, racism and sexism and wield these as weapons of hate.  As horrible as all these may be, none are against the law and all are opinions.  Stand for what you believe but think hard about how you do that.  Are you doing it from a place of love or a place of hate?

I know I seem to have less patience for people as I get older.  I don't know if that's good or bad but I simply refuse to participate in the degradation of human relations that seems to be all around us.  When I smile and say HI to a stranger on the street I feel sorry for him that he cannot return the greeting and chooses to look down at the ground instead.

Have we learned Tolerance or have we actually just use it as another way to segregate ourselves from others? 

Gratitude

I am grateful for every day and every moment with my Lique.  The rescue of the three girls in Cleveland has really got my mind running on overdrive.  I went through some very hard times with my divorce and custody battle.  Many time going days without knowing where Lique was, enduring threats of her being taken from the country.  It took a heavy toll on me which I still feel to this day.  

I don't know if I could have lasted ten years not knowing where she was.  Hy heart goes out to those girls and their families.  I pray that they find the strength, guidance, wisdom, love and support to get through each day.  Their lives have changed in ways we can never even imagine.  They have had so much taken from them that they will never get back.  I hope they find the ability to grab onto life and experience the wonderful things again.

That little 6-year old girl is going to need everyone in her life.  Her life started the day she was rescued. She has missed preschool, kindergarten and many days at the park with other kids.  We all hope and pray that she finds some way to have a semblance of a childhood.  It is said that children heal emotionally better than adults.  I hope this is true for her sake.

My own emotions have been on such a roller coaster this week.  I can't begin to imagine what those girls are going through.  Each of us needs to stop and really express the gratitude not just for our children but to our children.  I know so much of my daily strength and gratitude comes directly from my Lique.  

May God Bless Each Of You.

I feel pain

I feel pain and for many years I was selfish and kept that pain to myself.  Sounds pretty silly doesn't it?  I kept it inside because as a man growing up you are not supposed to feel pain and if you do you certainly don't show it or share it with anyone.  Hence, I was selfish.  I was, for quite a long time very adept at back burnering pain and forgetting about it.  However what I didn't realize was though I may have left it on a back burner, that burner still produced heat.  When it hit the point where it overheated my life got real messy, real fast.  What I realized is pain is like good food.  It should be take off the burner altogether and shared with good friends and family.  There is a chance that that situation may not go well, but more times than not sharing it helps.  I know I had some things on that back burner for over 40 years.  When I did finally take it off and shared it you can bet that it was not a pleasant experience.  It brought out parts of me that I never knew existed. 

It is said by some that we are all capable of inflicting great harm upon out fellow man.  Only by acknowledging this fact and making a conscious decision to never forget it do we find a way to control it.  I have felt strong enough pain that I knew without a doubt I was capable of hurting someone badly yet by knowing that fact I am able to know that I won't hurt someone out of anger.

I know also that I share pain from other people.  I am drawn to it like a moth to light.  Not because of the pain they feel but because of the relief of pain that I know they will experience.  I do not seek out people in pain.  I believe they are put into my life so that by being there for them I can continue to grow and handle my own pain wisely.

Today still, I feel pain.

Rules for dating my daughter

RULES FOR DATING MY DAUGHTER

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a Black Hawk chopper coming in over a san hill near Mogadishu. When my PTSD starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is me.

Disappointed but not shocked.

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings I notice it didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to surface.  I've seen folks already claiming our government is behind the bombings.  As much as my heart goes out to those directly affected by this incident, my blood runs cold when I read the asinine claims made by the uninformed.  You have the right to your opinion and I do not argue that point.  But I have no more sympathy for you than I do for the bombers.  You both  deserve to rot in hell.  

I am probably shocking some folks right now but know that I also have freedom of speech and I do tend to get a bit blunt sometimes.  I will protect my family and friends with a level of passion and love that most people cannot understand.  The opposite side of that coin is that I will oppose those that seek to harm my family and friends with a willingness to do whatever it takes to be sure we walk away and you do not.

To those making your outlandish and uninformed claims, you show absolutely no sympathy for your fellow citizens.  You use their suffering to promote your own political views.  You are a sad specimen of the human race.  

I know this isn't my normal humorous writing style but I am just not feeling very funny today.