Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday October 31, 2008...Reunion

Reunion: the state of being united again; a gathering of relatives, friends, or associates at regular intervals or after separation. Synonym: homecoming, reuniting

And so, as I face the reunion of my former high school classmates, I look forward to a homecoming, a reuniting of friends and family who shared years together – long ago. We were like a close knit family, sharing our youth and experiencing adventures and learning and maturing together. The memories of those years stay with us our whole life, the good ones and the bad ones. We learned from both and carried that knowledge with us in the following years. Those years were formative years. We were shaped and molded by our teachers, our friends and our own experiences.

The years have passed and many of those friends and classmates haven't been a part of our life since then, but I suspect that when we reunite the years of separation will fade away and our youthful memories will bring back our friendships and help establish new ones.

A reunion is a time to cast away former grudges and disappointments and to congratulate our mutual survival and discover who we have all become. This is a special time that ties our past to our present and brings us a new focus on life. We set out in life years ago and here we are now each with their own successes and failures, joys and disappointments to share with our friends who were there when we started. There may never be another reunion like this one, but this one will be special.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Monday October 13, 2008...Steadiness

I was just watching a video that I made of my Father's life. It seems that, except for a few years of unattached youth when he was acquiring his values and education, his primary goal in life was to watch out for his mate and his children. Once he had made the commitment to marriage and fatherhood, he devoted his life to that effort. He always took his family's interest into any decision he had to make and continued to care about each individual throughout his life. He was a great example to set before us.

I don't remember a selfish decision he ever made for himself alone. He always catered to his wife and her desires and to his children and their needs. He made life comfortable and stable for all of us without ever complaining.

I see many marriages today shattered and broken and the men cannot provide the stable background for their children like my father could. I see many men who don't carry the same values that my father had and make many selfish decisions without considering their families. It's a shame. I know that I was cast aside by divorce and couldn't continue my role in the lives of my family, but I still tried to provide a feeling of continuity and stableness to my children and to let them know that I was always there for them. We remain “family” today even though separated by miles and circumstances.

What bit of stableness and steadiness I could provide to my children is a result of my father's steady hand example. He did well by me and my brother and sisters and subsequently our children.

One man can make a difference. My dad did.