What my dad taught me.

 

To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others. 

Pope John Paul II 

 

    As I get older I appreciate what my parents have stood for in their lives more and more.  My dad is what you would call a man's man.  He could surf, camp, fish, hunt and always provided for his family.  My dad wasn't perfect-no one is, but his love for his family is a force to be reckoned with. 

I appreciate how my dad always takes the time to teach people how to do things.  He has coached, taught and served in many ways.

    One of the things I loved the most about my dad was his habit of not allowing our family to gossip about people.  I remember many times when we would begin to say something negative and he would clear his throat a little bit. This was a hint to stop going down that road. 

   It sounds like a small thing but I am grateful he helped me early in my life to not participate in hateful talk.  Hateful talk turns to hateful behavior. 

  I am sure he learned this skill from his mother.  I do not remember my grandma Audrey ever saying a bad thing about anyone. 

So, thanks dad for  teaching me to work hard and starting me on the road to being well rounded person.  Because of you I can work on a car, throw a ball, use power tools and keep my mouth shut when I need to.  It sure has been a better life because of many  good things you have done for our family.

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. 
                               ~James D. Miles

  

Luke

      I can't say anything that has not been said  before about the birth of a new baby.  Trying to give words to the experience I feel that I can not find them.  I have such admiration for the parents who have the courage to bring a new life into the world and embrace the opportunity to be responsible for  that child's care.

    On the day of Luke's birth I made it to the delivery room just in time to help Tasha through the pushing process.  Her devoted husband never left her side.  When the pain hit the point where Tasha was at her limit I had the most tender moment looking into her eyes as if to say, "I understand your pain, you can do this and  it will be worth it."  With trust she grabbed my hand, nodded her head and pushed through the pain.   

      I was so proud of my daughter that day for many reasons.  Tasha felt prompted that this baby should come at a time when her body was still healing from other things.  This decison  made her pregnancy hard on her in many ways.   She felt more emotional and tired during her pregnancy because her depression compounded it.  When Tasha made the choice that bringing a child into this world more important than herself it was the beginning of many  sacrifices she would make for baby Luke.

     Baby Luke has brought many blessings to our family.  His life has given our family the strength to heal old wounds and create new love. 

      A treasured moment for me during the minutes after Luke's birth was when my Son-in-law said to me,  "This is all I have ever wanted..."  He was referring to a wife like Tasha and a sweet baby.  I am so grateful for Brandon. 

      In closing I know I can not do justice to this amazing experience.  I would like to end with a quote from one of Tasha's favorite artists.  A man who could see deeper beauty in the midst of pain.



    "If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."

Vincent Van Gogh

Thank you Moon family for sharing your greatest creation.  We love you all. 

The Bigger Picture

     It has been said  that Families are like wind chimes.  When one piece of the wind chime makes a movement no matter how small, it causes the other sections to move as well.


     When one person makes a choice it effects other members of the family.  I am grateful for members of my family that try to make choices that will strengthen others.  My family has been a strength to me.

       All families  have disagreements on issues.  Sometimes people battle instead of talk.  Sometimes people seek revenge instead of seeking information.  Right now I am caught in the middle of such a battle.  As the arrows are shot they harm the innocent bystanders.  The ones that suffer the most are the children.  They are caught in an atmosphere of distress and tension.  If we are not careful we model for them how to fight, attack and find fault.  This can backfire on us if our children learn to use these weapons against their own families in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a story I love  about a group of  people who bury their weapons of war and refuse to battle anymore.  I am amazed by how brave these people  were.  They knew  they would be attacked again and could die for their commitment to peace.  The people in this story who committed not to fight were willing to do what they knew what was right even if they felt their attackers were wrong. 

 

 

I stand in the middle of this conflict with my weapons buried.

  I refuse to hate, attack and seek revenge. 

 

 

   Will  you join me?