Father’s Day is day after tomorrow. It has been a day of mixed blessings for me for a long time now. My own father has been deceased since 1978. That really is a long time… But I have been a father since 1989. And that too is a long time. Mixed blessing is thus a descriptive phrase. This year is going to be different. I have formulated a list of things that must or must not be done on this…
Father’s day is next weekend. Be sure and take care of your father next weekend, and if he’s no longer with you, take a moment to reflect on all the things he did for you. One of my friends posted that thought in their facebook status a week or so ago, so I saved it. I saved it because it occurred to me that I have never taken the time to express in specific terms all of the things he…
Jeff was training for the Olympics. He was on the verge of becoming an Olympian runner when unforeseen circumstances derailed his dream. An unexpected injury permanently dashed any hopes of Olympic competition. He was still able to run, but he was not in a position to compete at that level. I cannot imagine the disappointment he felt. His life plans shifted in an entirely different direction. He decided to go into law enforcement. I don’t know how many agencies he applied with, but…
I was a complete and total angel when I was a college student. And of course I would stretch the truth about other things as well. The truth is that I completely washed one semester at Texas Tech as I pursued my undergraduate degree. That event was not set in motion by angelic behavior. This week a long time friend had to endure his daughter making some choices both educationally and relationally that are probably not going to enhance her…
My mother graduated from high school in 1945 in Jacksonville, FL. She watched classmates that were a few years ahead of her be drafted and quickly head of for overseas military duty during WWII. Many of those young men did not come home… I wish now that I had pressed her for more details regarding her high school experiences, but the one story did share still stands out. She told me about a cousin, who was a few years older…
My sweet little bride is a Barry Manilow fan. Of course this causes her boys to cringe. That is just beyond their comprehension. I must confess that I join the banter when they tell her that Manilow’s song entitled “Mandy” was written about his dog. Actually if the truth be known I planted that seed in their young minds quite a number of years ago. And as far as I know such a conclusion is based on some urban legend…
My boys will soon receive the annual Mother’s Day Lecture. It is a lesson that is never forgone around the Knox household. It generally includes the same key points: wear nice clothes to church, sit with your mother in the worship assembly, be home for lunch, no crude discussion at the table, and above all….be on your best behavior for the day. They always take it well, and generally go above the call of duty to honor their mother. This…
I went by the office to surprise Jan by taking her out to lunch. What I failed to tell her is that I left my wallet at the house this morning, and she would have to pick up the check. We went to the Firehouse Café to dine on the lunch special of the day. The Firehouse is one of those places where everybody knows your name. We not only enjoyed our meal, but we also got to visit with…
In approximately 6 weeks, another school year will be behind us. My youngest will have completed his first year of high school. Three more academic years and then we will proceed to become empty nesters. (At least in theory) I had an experience at the high school last week that reminded me that the empty nest will never become a complete reality for us. I was visiting with one of the teachers after school when one of her students popped by…
Romance and real love…. Take your choice. What do you prefer? I think I will take some of both. Now I really don’t like sappy chick flicks. They are all too predictable on one level and totally unrealistic on another level. I prefer classic movies like The Dirty Dozen, where something gets blown up. But that does not mean that I am not a romantic at heart. Today I witnessed a little bit of both in a place that you…