When I Get Older…….

I was born in Roanoke, Virginia on May 8, 1969. That good looking guy holding the baby is my dad. My dad told me for many years “I never thought you would see 5 years old” or “10 years old “or what ever the age was he wanted to add to the joke. He never meant anything by it but as I turn 50 I can say I never thought I would see 50. For the past couple years I have said that I am nearly 50. I said it because in my head it was a goal. I am not a birthday guy. I am very excited to have them but in general I don’t make much of a deal of it and the big reason being that every single day is a gift. 

My childhood what not without incident but then again whose isn’t? My mom was very young when she married my dad but she was and is a bad ass. My mom got her first job before she was 18 because she needed to pay for her moms funeral. Her mother passed on my moms birthday. My mom worked hard to make sure I never wanted for anything. Ever Christmas was idyllic. Well there was one Christmas I woke up and my moms mouth had been busted open but there is a good story behind it. My mom managed a 7-11 for over 20 years and she was with my dad closing the store down Christmas Eve. A knucklehead decided to steal some wine and my dad confronted him. The thief swung the bottle of wine at my dad who ducked and mom mouth caught it. My dad chased the guy but busted his butt on a patch of ice. That was actually a good thing because back then you did not want to deal with an angry Pete Thornhill after hitting a family member. It was still a good Christmas. 

I got brought home by the cops when I was around 12. I was the older kid in my neighborhood and almost all my friends were younger than me. I was accused a couple times of hurting the younger kids. If it ever happened it was not on purpose it was because I did not know my strength so if we played football I actually felt bad if I tackled a kid and hurt them. I had been at my friends house all day. This was a grand day in a boys life because we had discovered Chris Dads Playboy collection. The cops showed up at the front door and informed me a kid had been hurt and that I had beat them up. I had done nothing but I was raised not to question authority and was driven home by Officer Gotcha. He brought me to my Dad and my Dad took me in the house. My parents questioned me and I admitted there was no way I was out being Bennie the Bully because I had discovered Kimberly McCarthur….yes I remember the name of the first ladies boobs my eyes had seen. My parents called back Officer Gotcha and he went back to the families house. The kid admitted he was playing by the dumpster and fell. He blamed me because he had been told not to play by the dumpster…it wasn’t until tonight as I type this story that I realize he must have been a piece of work that his family had a dumpster history on him. 

When I was a teen I did the typical stuff. I never got in any real trouble but I also did not get caught for a good many things too. I was maybe 18 and me and my friends thought it was a good idea to drink beers in the back of a graveyard the week after Halloween. We got stopped by the police on the way out. I was up front with Xenophon and his cousin Steve and my other buddy Warren were in the back. Warren and I were in college studying criminal justice. We knew just enough about search and seizures to know well…not a gosh damned thing. The officer asked Warren if he could search the car and Warren said know. The officer flashed at Warrens feet and saw a wine cooler and said “how about now?” and Warren said why of course officer please indulge. He searched the car and was nice enough to not charge us and let us dump the brew instead. May that was because Warrens dad was a police Captain but I digress. We thought we were the coolest because he missed two two liters of California Wine Coolers. Yeah we were the best.

I was lucky to have had and lost a few loves but before I found my forever love I was married for seven years. I will leave it at both of us made mistakes and it did not work. I was a cop for many years too. I arrested hundreds of people but many of them today will shake my hand. My first felony arrest was a friend I had known since kindergarten. I took my dad in the woods once while I was a cop to spend some time with a homeless guy. He was a vet and relatively harmless. It was Thanksgiving so I brought him food and we had a beer together. My dad never asked a question. Two weeks later a fellow cop had talked to him and said I had visited him on Thanksgiving and the officer was surprised the story was true but not surprised I did it. 

I remarried. I have the best wife this life could give me. Shannon is one half of the best thing to happen to me. Shannon accepts me for who am I am and even though she may try to scare me by hiding behind doors and call me a name when I do not take care of myself she will kill you for me. She is my hero too. For over five years we struggled to have a baby and she never gave up. She is afraid of needles but I gave her shots until every inch of her backside was bruised. After 8 months bedrest and a bunch of fertility treatments……..

I even wrote a book about it. My daughter? Well she would be an entire other story. 

So today I am 50 years old. I have had a great life and I hope to have another 50 in me but this brings me to a point. I highlighted the tip of the tip of the iceberg of great parts of my life but we all know life is not perfect. There were a ton of dark days but dark days are part of life. What is important is how you navigate the rough waters and when I sail my way through I always see that I have a wonderful trove of treasures. I have the best friends in the world, a job, family and some pretty awesome dogs. I am a blessed man. When I look back I could say Dad was right because its a miracle I made it to 50 but with the right attitude you remember that everyday is a miracle and if you don’t respect that you are a fool and my momma did not raise a fool. I love you all and I hope that you love yourself.

 

Be Glad It Happened

 

When I walked through the doors of the Great Neck Farm Fresh December 3rd 20 years ago this year I approached the store director with a simple phrase “you hiring?”. The store director said can you start full-time in two days? Just like that my Farm Fresh journey began. When I started Farm Fresh I was newly divorced, without kids and completely starting my career over. I started in the meat department. I had just left a very violent marriage and told my boss Jerry Smith that if my ex ever walked into the store I would walk out the door because  refused to bring that hell into the store. Jerry was a very hard rough neck of a man. We are talking about a man who through fifty pound boxes of meat around like a Nerf football. He was curt and to the point but when I told him I would walk if my ex came in the store he made me a promise. Jerry said he would leave his truck keys on his desk. If she walked in he instructed me to leave my keys on his desk and take his truck and leave. Jerry said call me when you get there wherever there would be and he would meet me. He did this every day for nearly 8 months when I was moved into management.

My first assessment was as an assistant manager. I met one of the best friends I would ever have during this time and his name is Danny Schatti. Danny and I would have many adventures together and work long hours side by side. Danny and I would watch wrestling together and drink together. Danny is quite a bit younger than me but infinitely wiser. Danny forced me to be a leader and manage. If I was not sure of my choices he just looked me in the eyes and told me “you’re the manager make the call.”  Back then training was as you go but if you worked hard they would not let you fail. Danny stayed by my side and has as a friend for 20 years. I would leave Great Neck as a Grocery Manager which at that time was the stores number two.

I found myself at the Baxter Road Farm Fresh. We were in the middle of another huge remodel and work was full of long hours but I never complained. I would meet another great friend here name Randy Cade. Randy was a workhorse and he never slowed down. In the language of Hamilton the man was non stop. Randy and I pushed through this remodel but I became frustrated because I was not learning some of the details I needed. Chuck Lutz was the head merchandiser from our office. He was harsh with his words. He was quick to tell you that were screwing up. Everything Chuck did was with notebooks. He never used a computer. All of Chucks plans and ideas were in his head or paper. Chuck was beating me up verbally one day because I had not set the store properly and was berating me when I snapped. I blew up on him telling him no one had taught me these things and if he said another word we were coming to blows. Chuck laughed and said to me “why didn’t you say so?”. Every Saturday for the next several months Chuck came into my store to teach me everything he could think of. He would still be an ass from time to time but all you had to do was start talking about pro wrestling and he would forget why he was mad and talk wrasslin’. Chuck was the last of a generation and I will always be indebted to him. Chuck told me that they can take away your job but they can’t take away what you learn and your experiences. Chuck made me a manager by giving me the knowledge and leading a path for me.

Before I left Baxter I met a girl. I had seen Shannon working in the pharmacy and thought she was cute as could be. I was not ready to date. I had dated a couple of girls after my divorce and it never worked out. Either they were too close to being like my ex or I just was not ready. I was interested in Shannon but was not going to ask her out. I was gun-shy. One Thursday one of her co workers told me that Shan was off all weekend and would like to go out if I was interested. I gave a less than stellar response. I waited until the last hours of the weekend to call her. That conversation is still going on until this day. I was sent out of Baxter after we announced our engagement to get married. Randy Cade, Al Manning (another friend I made at Great Neck) and Danny would all make the 7 hour drive to be groomsmen in my wedding in West Virginia a few months later.

I would bounce around stores a couple more years before I would need a surgery that would take me out of work for a month. I called Bill Parker at the office and told him I would like to work while on light duty and he moved me to the office where I had a brief stay at consumer affairs. Once I healed up I figured I would be sent back to the stores but there was a new innovation out there they wanted me to coordinate called internet delivery. I was trained to make simple adjustments to a website and organized teams that would deliver groceries as far south as Manteo. I spent two summers hiring teens and driving down to the outer banks with them. I had a young high school football player working for me who was a self-proclaimed ladies man. He often bragged of his mastery of women. One Sunday morning he excitedly came to me to tell me he had delivered grocery to a house in Kitty Hawk and the woman was by the pool naked and didn’t even try to cover her bare breasts. He exact quote was “Don’t tell anyone but its the first time i saw boobs and they look much better up close than in Playboy.” I of course told everyone.

My next adventure was Loss Prevention and Shrink Control Manager. During this period I began to miss public service and I left to join the fire department. A handful of weeks into the academy I found I was claustrophobic and before I put in notice to the FD I called Scott Bayne one of our VPs and asked if I could be hired back. Scott not only hired me back he gave me options.

A majority of my remaining time would be in the merchandising department where I would meet Steve Butt, Jeff Snyder, Hard Times Harvey Taylor and Wayne White. We built something in every single store in Farm Fresh and almost all of them we remodeled top to bottom. I met hundreds of incredible new friends during this time period. I forgot tons more than I learned because every minute was an education.

While in merchandising Shan and I would start a five-year journey trying to have a baby with infertility treatments. We had miscarriages and tears. Wayne and Virginia Knowles were my rock during this time. I went to Wayne once when Shan and I feared we had another miscarriage. He talked to me for hours into the night. Wayne just listened and pulled me through that time so I could be stronger for Shannon. The fertility treatments paid off and Shan became pregnant but would be on 8 months  bed rest. Virginia pulled me aside and told me that I had to be at every single doctor appointment with Shannon and I did just that. Virginia was always making sure I was ok. I was a buyer now and was in an ad meeting with the toughest boss I ever had in Ron Dennis. During the meeting Rons admin came in to say that I needed to go home because something was wrong with Shan. It turned out all was ok but I came to Ron to apologize for leaving the meeting. He laughed and told me family first Andy. When Emma was born half the office came to the hospital and house to see our baby. I brought Emma to work on Saturdays for weeks after she was born.

Supervalu took over Farm Fresh shortly after Emmas birth and my last job with Farm Fresh would come in the form of Schematic Analyst. For the next 8 years I made many trips to Minnesota making new friends and having more adventures. I eventually lost this job to downsizing but did it for four more years through Acosta. 1478 is not enough to fully tell my Farm Fresh experience but for me it meant making friends that impacted my life in so many incredible ways. My experiences could be a book but some employees could write an encyclopedia. We gave back to CHKD, local schools, employees down on their luck, and the military just to name a few. We looked after each other. We fought for our business and we made a difference. Farm Fresh for me was more than a job. Farm fresh gave me the education that allows me to work from home. Farm Fresh gave me my wife and family. Farm fresh placed people in my life that changed it and made it better. When the last sign comes of the store fronts facade Farm Fresh will live on in thousands of people’s hearts. It will live on in the hearts of customers that made friends there or were affected by the positive things Farm Fresh did in their community. New adventures wait for my wife and over 3000 of her fellow employees in the next couple weeks but as Chuck would say “they can never take away what you learned.” To my grocery family I love you and you will land on your feet.

The Bears

 

I knew nothing about Australian Shepherds when Shannon told me about a litter of Aussies in Chesapeake. We were looking for a companion for our feral dog Abbey. When we went to the huge property the pups were at Shannon fell in love with another puppy but I wanted the little girl rolling in her own poop because she was playing so hard. I gently pressed to get her and Shannon agreed. When we brought the pup home she screamed as we left the farm she was born on. Shannon wanted me to take her back but of course we never turned around. Like many big choices in our life we were not prepared for her when we got her. We had to go straight to Petsmart and get a kennel and all her supplies. We named her Lily…..with one “l”.

I had never had a dog that enamored herself to me. She was a puffball and the first couple nights we had her I slept on the floor next to her. I eventually put her kennel next to my bed and hung my hand in the cage touching her to calm her at night. She was a handful as a pup. She was destructive but her face always saved her with me. One day she kept making noises driving Shannon crazy so I decided to take her outside and go for a run. I had just started running and was not over excited about it but needed to do it. That day I took her on a mile run and when we came hame I thought I killed her because she panted so long and hard. I learned that day that she had no quit. You had to make her stop or she would go until her heart popped. We started running daily rain, snow or shine. We ran up to five miles a day for a couple of years. I was always at ease when her and I ran. She always lead. Any problems I had on a given day fell away when the Bears and I ran.

The relationship with Abbey, her dog buddy, was fair at best. the dogs liked each other but rarely played together. Abbey was a sweetheart but had feral drawbacks. She would from time to time violently attack Lily. Lily was much smaller but she always took the fight to Abbey and even though Abbey was often the clear winner it was Lily you had to pull off her exhausted sister. We were at a Petsmart one day when two large male Aussies attacked Lily. Lily left both of the boys bleeding and not wanting to continue the fight. I didn’t like the fact that she had to fight but it illustrates more that she did not know the word quit. She was always outsized but it made no difference to her.

Lily always made me smile. She smiled all the time. I am not kidding when I say she smiled. When you would pet her it was clear you were making her happy. Lily loved the beach and chasing tennis balls. That girl could jump great heights to catch a ball and would bring it right back covered in sand. Lily would have a mouth full of sand too but she did not care because she was playing.

When Abbey died Lily moved to our new home and really enjoyed being an only dog. She would walk around Emmas friends in the yard waiting for someone to drop a snack and if they did not pay close enough attention she would steal it. A little girl name Maddy was playing in our yard while I was on the patio with Lily. A worker building the neighbor’s house cam into our yard to grab some debris. The worker got too close to Maddy and Lily launched between the child and adult and made it clear he was going no further. Lily was very protective.

After several months of solo dog Lily would gain a Great Dane sister. Lily quickly warmed up to her and finally had a dog that “played” with her. Lily was greatly outsized but the Dane knew Lily was the alpha. In recent months the near 14-year-old girls hips failed, her sight failed and her mind failed. Lily would go out in the dark to pee and we would send Neffie (our Dane) to get her. Neffie would stand guard over Lily as she relieved herself. Knife struggled when Lily was gone so we got another Dane puppy to be her companion when the inevitable happened. Lily, even in a very weakened state, held the alpha over both Danes. Lily tried her best to play with the puppy but she would fall to the ground.

Lily made everyday a good day. Lily owned me. I love her so much and this next passage kills me. She was very light. She could not keep weight on. The vet offered some options to help but they did not take. She had large sores on both hip bones and it hurt for her to lay down. Lily never liked couches, beds or blankets and the hard word had to hurt her. She recently reached the point where she could not get up off the floor and that was the end. Neffie would not let me take her to the vet for the last trip. Neffie blocked me from her and kept running to Lily. When we made it to the vet Lily was defiant. The vet said letting her go was the best choice. Shannon knew this to be true and I knew it to be true but I needed the vet to say it. I stayed with her until the end. She never quit. She needed sedatives to make her lay down and even in passing refused to close her eyes. Lily never, ever quit. This dog is inspiring. She is a living metaphor on how to approach life.

We apply human traits to animals but they make a difference in our lives. Pets brings up when the world wants to pull us down. Lily loved me every single day. Lily never gave up on me. Lily pushed through two Great Danes to greet me even in her final days. She hurt but forced herself up because she loved me. I love her and will never have the hole she left filled. I sang her to sleep with a song a made up for her and the song’s title says it all “Their ain’t none better than the Bears”.

Friends love your family pet or human because life is as they say too damn short.

For Love of The Big Red Machine

Brother G, The Big Red Machine, Gossy Bossy, Mr Wiggly Whiskers, and many, many others but his name is Gossamer. Gossamer is the first pet my wife adopted as her own as an adult out of Pharmacy School. She adopted him and very shortly after the Big Tig. She named him after the big red character Gossamer in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. He was a red fluff ball with crazy crinkled whiskers and underneath it all a very sweet but grumpy face. While Grumpy Cat looks grumpy Gossamer looks like he would kill you for sport. It was all looks though because he was sweet as the day is long. He was not overly friendly but when you pet him he would mostly oblige. Gossamer was the very first link to my wife. When my wife and I started dating she gave me a key to her apartment one night so I could meet her when she got home. She warned me that Gossamer did not easily warm up to people. When my then girlfriend walked in he was sitting on my lap chilling out like a popsicle. He never left my side from that moment until this morning where he lay on my lap while our Great Dane and Australian Sheppard watched over him.

Gossamer was a good boy. He was never very large but he had the heart of a lion and he thought he was as big as one. If the dogs wanted a fight he would oblige. Gossamer was the cat that stayed in the background. Most times you never knew he was there. People would come to our home several times before they saw him for the first time and he was always out in the open. He liked to sleep in the downstairs bathroom. One night a friend went into the bathroom did what she had to do and was startled when the entire time in the very small bathroom she did not notice him glaring at her from under the sink. I think he had a dark sense of humor. It’s a dark story but a classic Goss story. One evening our cat Kozmo suddenly died of what we assume was a heart attack. We heard Kozma falling down the stairs and rushed to his side. When I looked up Goss was at the top of the stairs all Omen Devil Child like he had pushed Kozmo. Kozma and Goss were never close. I retold that story over the years to soften the blow of a very sad night.

Animals are not human but to good pet owners they represent family and events. Gossamer was the last link to the beginning of my relationship with my wife. The animals that remain all came well into my daughter’s life and she is only seven. Pets are the good in the world. They are loyal and almost always bring a smile to your face. We can learn so much from our pets.

Goss was closer to 18 than 17 and he had a good life but even more amazing is he made our lives amazing. In his last days he could not move around much or chose not too but he would make his way to me and get me to pick him up. He would snuggle in for ten minutes and leave. He wanted to remind me he loved me and maybe needed me. We all need to be needed and fulfilled that for me. This morning I took him to ease his transition. I did something I had never done before I prayed over him. I asked that not only he have an easy passing but that my wife and daughter would handle it as well. I told him the Big Pig, and Big Brown (our dog), Pancakes, Junior, and even his arch nemesis Kozmo would be there and he would play as his younger self. I broke down in tears both in sadness and relief because I realized he was going to be okay but it reminded also of the years with the family bets over the years. I held onto him until he could see the glimmer of Heaven behind his eyelids.

We lost our three senior pets ranging from 12 to nearly 18 years in barely two years and now my I look at my Aussie realizing she is senior pet by a mile and I sadden up but I am comforted that she has a great group waiting for her when (hopefully years from now) the time comes. Life is precious and so are the ones we share it with so remember to love with your whole heart at all times. I will never forget Brother G.

The Lucky Little BOY

Imagine our souls float aimlessly through the air before we are born. When your soul finds your vessel or body you become a person. A new person or baby is lost and clamoring to be loved, taught, hugged, and molded. We have no choice where we land and are lucky when the ones that raise us are good and just people. Today a new life came to our world. He found a home that is truly great. Lets start with his new sister. She is going to need a little time to adjust to you because she has had a few years where she was the only ticket in town. She is smart and beautiful. She has laid some ground work for you and made many friends that she will share with you. She will be loyal to you until the end. She is going to be alot of work for you as she grows older because the boys will be calling and you may need to run interference. You may have to even lay down the law and make sure they understand that although she will be more than capable of handling herself she has a brother that will back her every step. I have seen your sister stand up to kids older than her without hesitation for her friends. The ability your sister has to stand up for the ones she loves and cares about is a passing breed but thank God we have her to hopefully carry that trait along. Your father is rare too. He is a throwback to a time when men not only loved their family but their neighborhood. He does not care who you are if you are part of his community because he gives all newcomers a welcome open hand. He believes that a neighborhood is an extension of family. He wants the best for his neighbor and has never let petty things soil the neighborhood he loves. He gives of his time and heart. Your father is like no man I have ever met and I have known many. He will pass many good things on to you and you will do well to listen and soak up his knowledge. He is a good man and he will make you a good man. They say behind every good man is a good woman and this could not be more true than with your family. Your mother is a force. Your mother always speaks up and does not care if it is not the popular thing to do. She is honest and loyal to those she cares about. She has a sense of humor that will make you laugh on at a funeral on Christmas day. She puts others before herself. She is the origin of the smarts your sister carries. She will lay her life down for you (as would your father) and not even blink. Your mother is a model for other mothers to follow. She will rock the child of the mother that would think nothing to show another child a “lesson”. She does the right thing as does all of your new family. You see Reid you have already won in this life and you are not yet 24 hours old. You will know nothing but great love. You will laugh and learn and be part of an incredibly,respected family. I look forward to looking across the street from my patio to yours and watching your family holing you as they sit on their patio and talk to our other neighbors. You are a lucky young man brother.

Monster Movies: The Future Is Bright

Monster Movies: My baby

He Was A Man

 

I have known many great men in my life. I worked with cops that were pure and simple walking examples of what a good man is. There are few men that are on a level that many never reach. I am talking about the kind of man who other men only dream they could be like. My wifes Pap, Jimmie Solomon was one of those men.

When I first met my father in law I was intimidated. He is a big man with a reputation you hear about well before you meet him but when I met him I had future mother in law back up and future wife back up. When I finally met him I quickly learned he was no one to be concerned with as long as you came correct. As long as I take care of his daughter and treat her as he would I had no worries. When I met my wifes Pap it was another story.

When I describe my wifes Pap it is my view of the short 15 years I knew him. If I get any fact incorrect about him they are my error and I apologize in advance for it. When I was first taken to “The Farm” to meet him I was taken back by the very long rocky road that lead to his house sitting up on the side of a hidden mountain. His brother lived just below him. The road seemed like a scary path to a place that city boys like me had no place going to. There was cattle everywhere. He raised cattle for a living and his farm was impressive to someone who had never been on one.  I knew he was a hard man. He was a coal miner also. He had his back broken in the mines. He had the reputation in Morgantown that when he walked across the street it may not be a bad idea to be on the other side of the street. He had a missing finger and it took me a long time to ask him about it. When I met him I received a strong handshake. It was a handshake I could never match. Even in his late 60’s or early 70’s at that time you could tell his presence alone kept you in line. He commanded respect with a handshake and a gentle but firm gaze. He was very welcoming and kind to me on that first visit. I thought I would struggle to converse with him because we had nothing but his grand-daughter and a love for dogs in common. He was very easy to talk to. I listened to him tell me stories about the farm,coal mining, and Morgantown. He told you things you never knew. He did not make me feel dumb. I didn’t get many family stories from him but I learned a good bit.

My wifes Pap would sell his cattle to help fund his granddaughters college. He had my mother in law help neuter cattle. Get your hands dirty kind of stuff. His Farm is huge. To this day I truly do not know how big it is. He would take his ATV all over it and he told me of many times where he had to politely explain to strangers or neighbors the property lines. I am sure that meant a firm “let me explain this to you” conversation. He would run those mountains with his cattle dog. He got hurt once and was a good distance from his home. It was his dog that came and got his wife and brought her to him. He was a John Wayne get stuff done kind of man.

One of the conversations I had with him I will never forget was about my tires. We came to visit and he noticed my tires were balding. He pulled me aside and told me I wasn’t going home until I replaced them. He meant it too. He quietly told me that he would give me the money if I needed it. He told me this away from everyone. I felt like he was giving me an offer if I needed it without embarrassing me. We didn’t need the money but he was willing to take care of us. I fixed those tires the second we left the farm. I was not going to explain how I ignored him and his offer and took his granddaughter on a seven hour trip through the mountains home. He was kind. He didn’t say much but when he did you listened and most of the time you learned something.

My daughter was terrified of him. He played loud and with quick hard movements. He was not rough by any means but to a two or three-year old just learning to walk it was something to get used to. She learned to love his play and after a couple warm up trips she would go after him with great vigor. In his later years he had some trouble moving around but when his great grand daughters were there you never knew it. This hard man would scamper through his house chasing the girls with this huge smile on his face. It was a smile that melted you because it was at those moments that even tough you knew he was a man to be reckoned with and respected he was also a man with a great heart and love for his family. He was the true measure of a man. He was the most a man could be.

A couple years ago time caught up with him. He suffered from Alzheimer’s. I will not offend his life by waxing poetic about a decline with great detail. He does not deserve that. Suffice to say his decline was somewhat textbook for his age and the disease. We visited him in an elderly home in his last years. Even sick and in an advanced age the ladies at the home loved him. They loved him to the point it may have even got him in a little harmless trouble. 80 plus and making the ladies crazy. Like I said he was a mans man. The last trip we made to him was this past December. He loved his dogs and they had long passed and sadly a good part of the mind that made him the great man he was had passed too. We brought our Australian Shepherd to the hospital. His vacant stare gently cracked into a smile upon seeing our Lily Bears. I placed his hand on her head and he rubbed her fur. I saw that familiar smile. The one he had chasing my daughter and her cousin through the house with. No words but that smile was unmistakable. For a moment that dog brought him back. I am so happy that the last time I saw him I saw that smile.

The good Lord was in need of another good man and around 830 PM on 2-18-2015 he brought him home. I bet that there are girl angels up their lining up to get an up close look at the lady-killer. There his brother waits to show him the lay of the land to a farm he may have in Heaven.  His dogs are running by his side and of course across that newly minted angels face is a unforgetable smile.

Faith in God or Self

There seems to be reward cards for everything these days. Go to the grocery store and flash a card for better deals. Flash a card at your child’s hairstylist and get a free haircut. Hell these days there are even signs that say “scan your Belly” for better deals. A plastic card proves your loyalty to some. What if we had loyalty cards for other things in life and were rewarded by them in the same way. Maybe we could have spouse reward cards. “Hey babe I took out the trash so can I be rewarded with that kiss now? I have a card”. 

What would a faith reward card look like? Maybe a bible would serve as a rewards card. You read the bible and follow it’s teachings and the reward is endless. I like that concept. I think everyone needs faith in their life. I have been accused of being an atheist because I don’t carry on much about what I believe or have faith in. I am not an atheist but I’m not exactly a Christian either. I believe in God but I rarely speak of it. Faith will get you through. Faith is the belief that things will be okay because forces we do not understand will sometimes help make sure all is good. Having faith is not good enough. I think you have to earn faith reward points by living a good moral life. Good behavior sometimes brings good things. The best part is that the harder you try to live a kind life the easier it is to do so. The kind life is infectious. If only one out of fifty people you treat with kindness turn around and do the same to one another because of the way you treated them then that is reward enough. If you have faith that all will be okay then it is easy to be kind because you know that your actions reward others. 

I have faith in God. I have faith that if I live a good life I will be rewarded down the road. But I don’t try to live a good life for the sake of rewards. Living life for reward cheapens your actions. Live a good life because it is part of the very fiber of your being to help others and raise their spirit. Faith that all will be okay if you are kind will make it easy to forgive when the need arises. When you understand that you can’t change others but you don’t have to let them change you that is powerful. I believe faith gives us power to overcome. Faith will find funny or rainbows in the darkest day. When you love everyone and have blind faith you may face ridicule but that is only because some folks just don’t understand that faith is personal and does not mean the same thing to every person.

Have faith. Have faith in your own way. If it comes from the Bible great. If it come from church great. As long as it enriches your life and gets you through while at the same time helping others from to time to time then it will make your life well worth living.  Life is worth living but life lived to help others, well that’s simply rewarding.

Monster Movies: Six and Sassy

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