STAND YOUR GROUND
It is Father's Day 2025. In a few hours are sons will be at our house with their wive and children.
My beautiful wife, Kim, is making wonderful kitchen related sounds preparing for a great meal later in the day.
I am looking so forward to seeing them all and enjoying food, family and fatherhood. My middle and youngest sons are now father's themselves, and we will celebrate together. I watch my boys with their own
and stand amazed how the years have flown.
My own dad has been gone for 30 years now, and I miss him more than ever. His wisdom still guides
me daily. His own dad ran off when he was only two and I cannot imagine how painful that must have been.
He was a great father, and I think he must have imagined what a great dad might have been like and became just that. I know he is in heaven, and I tear up even now when I think of seeing him again. He
snored so loud I could hear him even in college when I came home for the weekend. Even though I was much larger and stronger, the fact he was down the hall made me feel safe.
He had a love of planes his entire life. He built and flew his gas-powered planes and flew them in the very hill where our house now sits. I had a goal to be a pilot but an accident as a child closed the door to that dream and left me almost deaf in my right hear. It has caused me frustration and embarrassment. Looking back, I am not so sure it has been a blessing in disguise. I am not sure Kim, and I would still be married for almost 44 years if I could hear out of both ears.
My dad was not a brawler by any means. He taught me to stand my ground. I have passed his wisdom down to my sons and they will do the same to their children.
He would be surprised and proud to know one of his grandsons also loves flying and is a pilot in the Navy.
Josh will not be here today because he lives in Virginia Beach. My heart misses him and stings a little more knowing he will pack his things and leave on a sea tour in about a week. I know one of the things he will take with him. Ten years ago, yesterday, I gave him a jar of dirt from our back yard. It came from right under the kitchen window behind our house. It would have heard his mother humming as she did the dishes. Maybe it listened to the sounds of the kitchen as his mother prepared yet another delicious meal. Another strong possibility would be the sound of her voice scolding me as I have made another mess.
My dad taught me the famous president Eisenhower quote about how dog always fights harder in his own back yard. I passed this along to all three sons. Josh has always taken dirt with him to the various places the navy sends him to fight for his country. It is symbolic but it makes that place his own back yard. He will always have a home field advantage. He will be on the newest vessel the Navy has, the U.S.S Gerald Ford.
I have not laid eyes on the Ford, but I know there are several flags on her. I am sure on one thing, none of them are white. Even though he will be far from home, he has taken with some home with him. Just knowing that he will do this, comforts me greatly!
Lord willing, we will chat later today by phone or facetime. Josh was very tight with my dad. I am proud of my dad as well because he was a Sargent in the U.S. Army. I plan to ask Joshua if he realizes the same man that carried him in his big strong arms name is on the side of the massive aircraft carrier that will carry him to the other side of the world. I hope this will comfort my son.
What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the
dog in the fight. Dwight D. Eisenhower
IT ALL ADDS UP
Often during the course of an eye exam, I ask patients if they like to read. Some like me love to read.
Others say they hate reading and never read. I often think to myself if we kept track of every text we send
or receive, it would surprise us. Now let's factor in every email we send or receive, and I would bet we all read the equivalate of 3-4 books a month!
Several years ago, I was with a young college student who was on her spring break. She was glad to be home
for a week and yet she had some work to do that week as she preparing for finals on her return. I goofed and
accidently invented a new praise. I meant to ask if she enjoyed pleasure reading. I said, 'do you enjoy pressure
reading?' We both chucked at my error.
Truth is, I have thought about that conversation many times. I do like to read for pleasure. I have learned many
things over the course of my life from borrowing the brains of others. I am hopeful that others may have gained insight from my words and shared experiences.
I feel all of us have some forms of pressure reading. It may not be college finals, but perhaps an instruction manual
to put a child's bike of toy together. That may not be our cup of tea, but we have to many times because it is required for work. I am not forced to read the eye related magazines that come to my house. I take the time to read them as to allow me to stay up and current with anything from new medicines to new trends in the eye related field.
Can I be so bold to ask you a question? Why are you reading my words right now? It is surly not pressure reading!
I am surprised and honored if anybody enjoys my feeble efforts to help fellow sojourners in this thing called life.
There is a book that is above all books called the bible. It was written long ago by many men with God's hand
upon them to help you. If you just, try to read it, God will change you as you do. Put a little pressure on yourself
to pick it up and put your phone down. You will learn about yourself and how much God cares for you. It will
make you a better parent, spouse, employee and friend. The pressure will soon turn to pleasure, and it will you more than anything in this word you can gaze upon. It leaves all earthly knowledge behind in the dust. things you wonder about will start to add up. You will smile as you realize the heap has led to a leap .... of faith.
If you only keep adding little by little, it will soon become a great heap.
Hesiod