My Life in a Book

Reflecting on the advice I received from Mom, I realize it wasn't so much direct advice as it was her attentive presence. She possessed an innate ability to listen, a trait I believe I've inherited. This gift has been invaluable throughout my life's journey, allowing me to understand others deeply and navigate challenges with empathy. Mom's wisdom manifested more in her actions than her words. Growing up in rural settings, she had a wealth of knowledge on survival and country living. Looking back, I wish I had absorbed more of those lessons, passed down from her parents. Mom's quiet strength and practical wisdom continue to shape my approach to life, reminding me of the importance of listening, observing, and learning from those who came before us. She had a lot of wisdom on how to organize and accomplish things. I wish I had tapped into that as well. Her methods were a little different but it all made sense to her. If she started a project, she would bring it to co...

What I admired most about Mom The thing I admired most about Mom was her energy level. She never stopped moving. Even if she would sit with the family to watch TV together, she was crocheting or writing letters. She hand wrote letters to over 100 pen pals some since she was 16 years old. When she died, there was a closet full of letters that she had kept from pen pals from all those years of writing.  She was the most organized person I've ever known. She had everything in order and labeled and could tell me exactly where to find it in the house and the label was on the box or container. She had a lot of stuff and it always amazed me how she could remember where it all was.  She was very creative and did amazing things with just pile of junk. I remember one time we were driving along and she all of a sudden wanted Dad to stop the car. She jumped out of the car and start gathering up weeds long side of the road. Apparently Dad had this happen before because his expression wasn'...

Mom's role in my life. Mom taught me to pursue my passions in life. I always thought that I would be a farmer. She let me spend summers when school was out on my uncles farm helping him with his farming. I'm not sure that she knew I was driving tractors at age 8 by myself but  She allowed me to mature within the environment where I thrived. When I changed directions in high school and found what would be a career choice in technology. She and Dad funded the schooling to pursue that direction. When I look back on the path and support I received from both Mom and Dad to find my direction in life, I am humbled by their wisdom and grateful for their unwavering belief in my potential. Mom and Dad both gave me good examples of what a solid work ethic looked like.  When I reached the age of sports, I was surprised that Mom whole heartedly allowed me to play football and run track. Through all the years of sports participation she went to every game and track meet she could even ...

  My memories of Birthdays.  I don't have too many memories of special birthdays. There was one birthday that I remember most. I got my first guitar for Christmas when I was 12 years old and began to take lessons on the guitar. The birthday that I remember the best was a few years later when Mom put together a party of all the people that I played guitar with and we had a jam session for hours.  As I got older birthdays were on so celebrated and it wasn't a thing for me. Many times after my wife died I would go on disaster trips and would be in the most desolate place with a group of others that had no idea it was my birthday. I celebrated in my heart doing the greatest thing ever.  Today I have friends that won't let me forget to celebrate my birthday. I have an insatiable love for Doritos. So much so that I don't keep them in my house or I'll eat the entire bag in one sitting. One year all my friend thought it would be grand to buy me two huge bags of Dor...