Reminiscing About my Wonderful Daughter

When you get older, you tend to reminisce about things of the past.  You forget  about any negative times but focus on the good times in life.  Today I am thinking back about a little baby girl that was born this day with all the fight that a little girl could muster.

You see this baby was born with a skin color of green.  As soon as we heard the first cry the doctor immediately took here away and into another room to analysis.  She had a blood virus and had to have a complete blood transfusion.  I recall being the same blood type as her and it was a no brainier to give blood for this precious child.   This was accomplished quickly but required her to be kept in the hospital in an incubator.   Her mom could not stay with her during that time because of the healing process that was necessary after childbirth.

My bond with this little beautiful baby came every evening after evening when I could come to the hospital after work to feed, hold, and rock this little angel in my arms.  I vaguely recall our conversations, but do remember singing quietly as I rocked her and having her hold my little finger.

I remember crying as I saw her sleep and praying over her every day until she was strong enough to come home.  But that was just the beginning.

As she grew her legs turned in so badly that they had to put casts on her while she was still in diapers.  She was active in the crib and would bang the casts against the sides of the crib until they would crack.  After a few replacement casts they had to put a bar in the middle of her casts so they would hold together.  Then we had to strap foam around the casts so she would not break them on anything she came into contact with in the crib.  

I have so many more wonderful memories of this little girl and some pain along the way, but today on her birthday, I want thank God for giving me a wonderful daughter.  I want to thank her also for putting up with this crazy Dad who went off the wall sometimes with nuttiness.

So,  thank you Stephanie Dawn for the joy you have given this father and pray that each birthday will be filled with love being received by you from so many people who love and adore you!

I LOVE YOU BUNCHES!
Dad

Extend Your Youth - Part One

I get kidded a lot for not acting my age.  My thought is that "Age is a state of mind!"  Therefore many times I consider that I am in my 20's to 30's or half my age (or so).  This came to life this fall when I was fortunate to become a Security Guard for the University of Tennessee at their football and other sporting activities.

Going into this task, I knew I was not going to make much money but wanted to see if I could have an impact on the people I served.  The company placed me to guard the locker room entrances for the UT football team.  I was in Volunteer heaven.

Standing on your feet for twelve plus hours is tough for an ADHD person and so when there was music playing before or during the game, I would dance in my location.

Recruit potentials are always escorted by student hostesses.  As they walked by the locker room I'd smile and greet each family with a "Great to have you here" as I never missed a step to the beat of the music.  Soon hostesses would stop and dance along with me.  For some reason, that broke down the barrier from old man to someone they wanted to talk to each week.  I made it a special effort to learn their first names and some of their last names.

I learned of their majors, where they were from, what they wanted out of life and made sure to invite them to the Faith Promise UT campus for Sunday services.  When they walked by and did not smile or laugh, I'd stop them and say, "Are you OK?"  The barriers were down and so I learned a lot about these thirty some young men and women.

Another aspect was that the trainers for the teams are "second class" people in the world of college football.  Each time they would go into the locker room  or leave the locker room for the field, I would hold the door for them.  This little task paid off with big results.  I'd get a smile and many thank yous and learn of their life goals but the best was when a trainer would say, "You don't have to do that for me".  I'd reply, "You are important and it is my honor to serve you."   Everyone would see them stand taller and smile with a renewed vigor.  Even though I was three times their age, I felt younger to be serving the next generation.

So often we think that getting old we must rely on the youth to take care of us, yet you can feel so much younger yourself by doing things for the next generation, who we may think are going the ruin our world.

Funny but they said that about us and we have not done a great job of saving the world but we can show honor to the next generation and in turn extend our emotional youth.  The secret is to use your experiences to teach as you serve those youth.

Go out and extend your youth by being young of heart and mind!

What's under the water where you live?

We live near a couple of TVA lakes which not only helps with our electricity costs but also provides some great enjoyable sporting activities for all the people.  Each winter, TVA lowers the water level as demand increases and in anticipation of increased water from rains and snow which avoids flooding.

In the summer time the water table is raised up to the upper banks and looks fabulous, but in the winter as the water lowers things change.  You see within the valleys use to be homesteads with families living their lives near the creeks that were dammed up by the TVA.   When the water is lowered you see home foundations exposed.  In fact one railroad trestle going across the valley that use to carry lumber to the mills from the mountain areas can still be seen only during the low water periods.

In looking at these, my mind goes back to what might have been the life activities of the people then.  What were their joys?  What were their struggles?  What secrets are buried under the water?  What happened within the homes where foundations are now the only thing standing?

But as soon as the lake begins to rise all that is covered and the people boating over the top of these homes have no idea what lies below.

Each one of us has a past history.  Some was joyous, some were hard, and some damaged us emotionally.  Yet when people see us, we only show them what is on top of the water and never come to terms with what is under the water people see.

This year consider doing something with the feeling found in the foundations of you life.  We can never get rid of those foundations but consider confiding in a friend who will not judge your foundations found under the water, but help you to move on to a healthy life with others.

Like the TVA foundations, they will never go away but focus on what is on top of the water and not what is underneath.

My two cents