Old Friends

Tonight I think I’ll build a fire and spend a little time with a few of my memories. Oh, I won’t linger long. There’s too much future to get to. Too many new memories to make. The old ones though are so very special. And every once in awhile they need a little tending to. They need to be taken from the shelf, dusted off and shined up a little. Memories are the landmarks of our lives. They tell us where we’ve been and how we became what we are. The good ones are treasures...the bad ones hopefully teachers. They are pictures, places, people, smells, sights and sounds that take us back to places in time past. Time gone forever. So, they are precious. Some short as a wink...some long as a loved one’s lifetime. But they all need to be given great care though, because you just never know when you might need one to remind you that someone or something or somewhere along your road...meant something very special. So, tonight I think I’ll build a fire and spend a little time with a few old friends.

Don't Let Go

My son is teaching my granddaughter to ride her first two-wheeler. Brought back a thought I had awhile ago. Remember when you first learned to ride a bike? Remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach as Dad took the training wheels off? The anticipation, the excitement...the fear? Dad would run along side holding you up as you tried to peddle faster and faster. Remember how red his face got and how he huffed and puffed? You’d be screaming, “Don’t let go...Don’t let go.” But he would...and you’d fall. You’d skin a knee...bruise an elbow. Then one time Dad let go and...you didn’t fall. You were actually riding a two-wheeler. You were flying. You were lord of the sidewalk. And all the skinned knees and bruised elbows were a small price to pay for the feeling of the wind on your face and this new found personal freedom. The point is you took a chance. Sure you failed a few times, but when you succeeded...you were magnificent. Life is like that. Never take a chance and you’ll never fail, you’ll never skin a knee, you’ll never bruise an elbow...you’ll never fly.

When You Teach Your Son...

It's sad that this ancient saying rings more true than ever these days...When you teach your son, you also teach your son’s son. Unfortunately, in so many cases...it’s so true. I think that’s why it’s so difficult for us to break the chains of bigotry, intolerance and the distrust born of ignorance. When the next generation is taught to hate and fear...the generation after that is being taught the same thing...at the same time. And so on and so on. And while we can change the laws...we have the fight of our lives on our hands to change...the hearts. It takes incredible courage for a son or a daughter to step away from a parent's words. To question that authority. We are moving forward in our humanity, but it’s a painfully slow process. Because it has to happen one courageous young heart at a time. When you teach your son, you also teach your son’s son. Let’s pray that at least a few of our sons and daughters will gather the courage to think for themselves.