The True Legacy

There was always that nagging feeling he had failed in so many different ways. The king had feared the possibility of recognizing his strengths and successes and the complacency that might come of it. So much worry compounded by his concern that he never really measured up to his father, who was also very much beloved by the people. Both men were selfless and caring, giving everything they had to the betterment of the kingdom. Both men were endowed with an incredible desire to serve.

Some say this all-consuming worry was probably the cause of the illness that took the once vibrant and strong man and destroyed his physical frame, leaving him bed-ridden and frail. As he lay in his deathbed, moments of lucidity were nearly overwhelmed with bouts of confusion highlighted with mostly indiscernible ramblings. When these mumblings could be understood the context was difficult to decipher.

The queen spent her days attending to the needs of her king. The prince took on much of the responsibilities of the kingdom, though he too was hardly found far from his father’s bed. The illness was drawn out. Eventually, the king was overcome and passed away.

Of course, the land grieved the loss of such a man. There were many who thought to send condolences to the family. The funeral was held in the fashion of the land, many remembering the great deeds of their lost king. The king’s children each shared many of their memories. Almost all who spoke suggested this king was greatest among rulers for his care of his people. They all agreed that all were blessed for knowing him. He served his people without any concern for self, stretching all available resources beyond what most thought possible. Many commented that this great king would not have thought such a spectacle over his life necessary. Indeed, he would have preferred that energy focused toward more productive activities. His dying wishes asked that instead of flowers at his funeral, people would do an act of service instead. Failing that, a donation to humanitarian charities should suffice.

The king was buried with generations of great men and women, where anyone looking at the monuments could be reminded of their great deeds.

With the ceremonies and gathering done, the prince was still consumed with grief. His memories of his father provided comfort but such was fleeting. Although the Prince knew many who had died, he realized he had only this once grieved. The prince spent his days helping manage the affairs of the kingdom but all around him knew of his grief. He seldom laughed like he used to. His wit hardly ever brought forth the mirth people knew.

One day after the evening meal, the prince had excused himself to the upper garden seeking to be alone with his thoughts. He wished to remember some things of his father and make plans for helping some of the less fortunate. The king was a man of service and that is what made him the happiest. So, the prince was trying his best to follow in these great footprints.

Although he thought he was alone, there came a visitor who wanted to help the prince feel better. The visitor was the country’s preeminent singer. Stepping forward, the rustling of her steps drew the prince’s attention to her.

“Why are you here?” demanded the prince. He wished to be left alone and found the intrusion bordering on treason. Certainly is was not but these were his feelings anyway. The prince in his grief had lost much of the charity that made his father the great man he was.

The Singer retreated a little at such brashness but said in a strong voice, “I’ve come to sing for you. You have forgotten something about your father.”

“I’ve not forgotten my father. He is why I am who I am. No. Be gone with you.”

“Your country suffers while you waste your time here. The world crumbles though you busy yourself thinking to protect it,” the singer pleaded. “Although you think to live your life as your father did, you’ve forgotten what truly made the king, Our King.”

“If I relent and allow you to sing, will you leave me alone?”

As an answer to the prince’s question, the singer began her song. Her voice was incredibly fine, cutting to the very center of the prince’s soul.

Almost immediately the artist seemed to take on another’s countenance. This visage was that of a very young girl, though her voice continued to be the same. The girl whose clothes were worn to near rags looked hungry, her eyes held a wisdom revealing a life already heaving with turmoil and grief. Though otherwise quite clean, she had a little soot on the end of her nose and a bandaged wrist. The song seemed to tell of a youngster living a meager existence with little hope of even attending school until someone recognized her needs and helped her family.

The song changed a little, whether it was a slight decrease in tempo or a change in key the prince did not recognize. The performer’s voice still as clear as it was from the start, seemed to take on a heavier tone. The little girl was gone replaced by a young boy, a couple years her senior. The boy wore a school uniform and had a look that suggested he was from a family of some substance. He stood there looking a little self-conscious. The song continued to tell of a boy whose family played a high stakes game with their wealth. When the father lost everything he fell into a deep depression from which he never recovered, ultimately leaving the boy an orphan. The boy, having never known want, was left with nothing. He was scared. The verse continued to explain the boy was reunited with a long ago lost relative who took the boy in as his own.

Again, the song’s tone moved a little different and the boy was gone, replaced by a young woman who was wrapped in a blanket. Something terribly wrong had happened to this poor girl. Her faced was bruised and she held herself as if she were sore all over. The blanket almost covered her but the prince could see her clothes had been torn. The verse explained how the girl had been abused by someone who should have loved her. She was alone in the world and needed some support and a new beginning. This someone did that for her and she was able to get back to school and start a new chapter in her life without the baggage of her past.

As the song continued the young woman was gone, replaced by an elderly man in a chair, too feeble to stand. This was a lonesome time for a man whose lifetime of experience seemed to shine and sparkle through his gray eyes. The canto continued to explain how this man’s life seemed to drag on endlessly in complete loneliness. Telling of how someone came to him and asked a simple question. Since the answer was not so simple, his gray eyes had a twinkle of pride and usefulness that was not there before.

In the final verse, the man was replaced by a lost soul whose whole world was encompassed in a small glass pipe. The addiction destroyed everything the person had, leaving him empty as soon as the contents in the pipe were consumed. Living his life to pursue that addiction, this was an empty soul until someone found a way to unlock the trap.

As she finished her song, she resumed her original visage and turned to leave. The prince stood speechless with tears streaming down his cheeks. His father knew there were people that needed to be helped. That help took the form of many different shapes and sizes. He was freed a little from his grief and was able to focus on finding the individual rather than the cause. The king hadn’t failed at all.

Prop Us Up On Our Leanin' Side

I was thinking of this fellow I read about who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side." After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, "Well sir, you see, it's like this. I got an old barn out back.  It's been there a long time. It's withstood a lot of weather.  It's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standing.  But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit.  So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

"Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn.  I've been around a long time. I've withstood a lot of life's storms.  I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure alot of us get to leaning at times.

 

"Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't.  So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify  you.''

Citizen's Arrests

I was thinking recently about my time as a security guard, which by the way was one of the worst jobs I've ever had. Before I could take my first assignment, I had to pass a written test. Part of the test reviewed the powers of arrest security officers actually have. Incidentally, these powers and privileges are granted by the Constitution to every citizen. As citizens, our duty to stop crime wherever we may see it is paramount. So, here's a guide to correctly performing a citizen's arrest as I remember it from my security guard days (rent-a-cops are very smart people).

Confirm a crime is in progress: It's important to recognize the difference between true crime and just being mean or stupid. Some things that seem illegal like speeding or breaking a young girl's heart aren't actually against the law. Just to explain how confusing it can be, many things you might think are legal just aren't. You can't be mean to dogs or hit people with cars. Because of these kinds of legal minutia, citizens are only allowed to make arrests for the "Big Three" crimes: theft, murder, and lying to parents.

Secure the Reprobate: Most people won't even realize they've committed a crime. So, you can easily overpower and handcuff them with your homemade handcuffs (use twigs and discarded lint so the handcuffs can double for a friendship bracelet when the arrestee gets out of jail). If he resists arrest, you are constitutionally authorized to lash out with your sharp tongue and cutting insults.

Wait for Authorities: The last step is to call in the professional lawmen. Ring the nearest Crime Bell. A fleet of judges will promptly arrive at the scene ready to carry out swift justice. They'll sentence the reprobate to jail, apology camp, house arrest (no longer allowed to watch the T.V. program House), or a year of hard labor (just another name for unpaid internship in an obstetricians office). You'll want to celebrate your hard work keeping crime at bay by setting off some fireworks or shooting a gun into the air.

How can you change that which is fanaticism?

What does it mean to be a fan? Sports fans place more importance on one team over another, this is so very common. Few embrace logic when making this distinction, however. In most instances our fondness is founded in emotion. Still, once established as a favorite we begin to demand a higher level of performance from the members of these teams. 

The player’s performance on and off the field or court is important to their fans. While they focus on what made them famous – the athlete in their sport, the actor on the screen or stage, the politician in office – it is their personal, their ‘normal’ life, that tends to bring the most consternation.

This week while watching the NBA playoffs, I found myself disgusted by the actions of a few players on my team. Yeah, I considered them my team – at least until this week. No, I don’t play basketball. I’m hardly good enough to play a game of H.O.R.S.E. In fact, I do not usually watch much throughout the normal season. It is the playoffs I find enjoyable. Each game is important. Well, I enjoy watching most of the time. This week we witnessed flagrant fouls and players ejected from the game more than once. Once is bad. Thrice is untenable.

Certainly, the famous didn’t ask to be our role models. They simply did something better than others. Tiger Woods plays golf, Charlie Sheen acts, and basketball players play ball. Not that I thought they were my role models or considered these young men anything more than the basketball players they are but to think I would watch in disgust as these “professionals” flagrantly, and inexcusably sought to cause harm to the opposing team members. So disgusted was I that I left the room without any desire to watch the rest of the game. They earned that loss and will remain losers in my eyes.

A life-long fan of the Lakers, I am left wondering to whom I should throw my support, my fanaticism. And so I question how do you do that. How can one just change what their favorite team might be? Maybe I’m better off just taking a break from professional sports. I’ll focus on the Angels for now, in any case. 

Hrustevich plays Antonio Vivaldi

It's wonderful to come across something so exciting and unusual as this. I have something of an eclectic taste in music, organ music is something I enjoy. I stumbled across this master of the accordian on youtube and have enjoyed just about everything for which I stopped long enough to listen. Hope you enjoy it too.

Make Sure to Wear Clothes That Fit

Wear the clothes that fit. That is my life philosophy. It might be good advice for fashion but it’s far more than just how well your shoes fit or whether your belt has enough holes in it. Did you know high collars will make you neck seem shorter? Yep. So, if you’re like me and have a double chin, you’re not likely to get the look you’re after from a high collar. Just as you should never buy clothes that are too tight or short, your life should be a fit for who you are right now. Goals and wishes, places we want to or maybe should be, aren’t what we are right now. Just as we should not purchase clothes based on what we wish we were, our actions today should not be as if we’re accomplished.

This isn’t a defeatist attitude, of course. Life isn’t going to be what we want it to be if we just accept it as it is dished out. Do you want to look good in that swim suit? Then, you make adjustments to your life, set goals – both long term and short. After doing this, you make the daily efforts necessary to accomplish those goals. Establish a plan and follow the plan, doing things in the right order – wearing the clothes that fit.

If I were to set a goal to bench press 400 pounds, I would not start by first lifting 400 pounds. Maybe my capacity would be something around 100 pounds today, 105 tomorrow and 110 the following day. I would do the work necessary to make the goal of 400 and, gradually, I would accomplish the task.

My goals need to be a good fit as well. It is unlikely I would be able to press the 400 pounds by this Friday, requiring a little more time to work up my muscles. I should build them up in a manner that would not injure me and slow my progress. I remember a few years ago, I took a break from my work-out routine (yes, I used to exercise every day). When I started my routine again, I just decided to pick up where I left off. I did some serious damage. “It only hurts when I laugh, doc.” It took days for me to recover. When I again restarted my routines, I established an exercise curriculum that was more fitting to my body’s fitness, working back up to where I was before. Then, I was ready to move on to more advanced goals.

Wearing clothes that fit definitely means making the choice to do what is needful today and then doing what is needful tomorrow. So, that’s a good philosophy, right?

Inspire Those Around You...

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. i possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The last day of the year has come, we'll celebrate or morn the passing of 2010 with a party tonight or alone in front of a blaring television. I have heard many lament the stresses and worry that have plagued us. I would like to remember 2010 for the good and maybe forget all the rest. Maybe, just maybe, an attitude that focuses on the positive will bring or attract positive. We all know how much we could use more positive.

Merry Christmas, My Friend

By James M. Schmidt

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.

I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps.”

With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to sell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.”
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.


While a Lance Corporal serving as Battalion Counter Sniper at the Marine Barracks 8th & I, Washington, DC, under Commandant P.X. Kelly and Battalion Commander D.J. Myers [in 1986], James M. Schmidt wrote this poem to hang on the door of the Gym in the BEQ. When Colonel Myers came upon it, he read it and immediately had copies sent to each department at the Barracks and promptly dismissed the entire Battalion early for Christmas leave. The poem was placed that day in the marine Corps Gazette, distributed worldwide and later submitted to Leatherneck Magazine.


As Leatherneck (Magazine of the Marines) wrote of the poem’s author in 2003:

“Merry Christmas, My Friend” has been a holiday favorite among “leatherneckphiles” for nearly the time it takes to complete a Marine Corps career. Few, however know who wrote it and when Former Corporal James M. Schmidt, stationed at the marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., pounded it out 17 years ago on a typewriter while awaiting the commanding officer’s Christmas holiday decorations inspection ... while other leathernecks strung lights for the Barrack’s annual Christmas decoration contest, Schmidt contributed his poem to his section.

Animal Thoughts

Most email forwards are hardly worth the time it takes to glance through them. This one, however, was mostly funny and quite enjoyable. I hope you'll find it just as enjoyable as I did.



Dragonfly Lampworks: December Giveaway

Dragonfly Lampworks: December Giveaway: "The December Giveaway is a fine silver pendant named 'Flutterbye'. I realize that many of my readers do not bead, so I wanted to change thin..."

Sometimes, I just like to stop by and look at these wonderful hand-crafted beads.

Cacao! The Worlds Best Bean That Grows on a Tree...

I was probably a bit into adulthood before I met someone who didn’t like chocolate. The very idea was so very foreign to me. Not liking chocolate was just about as unbelievable as being against breathing air. How could anyone think chocolate was not good!

I can hardly imagine a world without chocolate. It was only widely available over 100 years after the conquistadors brought it back to Spain from the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. Originally served as a drink only, new technologies and innovations brought chocolate into a whole new realm of flavors and textures. In fact, chocolate has gone a long way since Montezuma had his cacao (Ka KOW) drink.

Chocolate is available in so many forms. Spain, where you’ll find chocolate served around the clock – for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks – has taken to chocolate like no other place in the world. Of course, they had that 100 year head start on most of the world.

I prefer chocolate in one of its purest and simplest forms – a bar of chocolate. In fact, I have been watching the labels closer lately. Often, packages are labeled with a certain percentage of cocoa, which refers to the amount of cocoa bean solids in the chocolate. The rest is sugar and milk. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more bitter the chocolate will taste. The percentage of cocoa isn’t all that affects the flavor, though. Like wine, chocolates can vary greatly in taste depending on where the cocoa bean is from, its combination with other beans and how long it was roasted.

One other attractive quality of chocolate is that it doesn't have a "peak season." It's always chocolate season. I am grateful for all those people who work hard making chocolate just for me to eat, drink and use in cooking. I am grateful for all those chefs in all those kitchens who’ve spent so much time designing new ways to make tasty chocolate treats. I am grateful that my body hasn’t any adverse response to chocolate – well, besides getting fatter.

Jeremiah Saw The Latter-day Gathering

The weather in California isn’t nearly as cool as some other places in the country this Sabbath day. However, I have to say we’re feeling a lot cooler than it has been so far this year. I am grateful for the cooler weather because I truly miss the seasons I’ve experienced living in other parts of the country. A couple years ago, following a promise of employment and other security, we moved from Illinois returning to California almost 10 years after we left. It was something of an exodus, that 2000 miles. I avoided the most harrowing part of the trip since time did not allow for me to stay with the family, flying home to make it back to work on time.

Still, I look at the trip and cannot help thinking about other exoduses others have had to make. Of course, Moses led a grand exodus which took the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses spoke of the greatness of this exodus when he said, “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him (Deuteronomy 4:32–35).”

A nation had to be formed, and that people had to leave Egypt in order for the nation to be created. Many generations later, Jeremiah saw visions of a latter-day event that the Lord said would be as great as the Exodus. Jeremiah recorded, “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. (Jeremiah 16:14–16).”

Could Jeremiah have been seeing the Latter-day Saint exodus to the Salt Lake basin? Could have he also seen the great missionary work that has taken place since the restoration of the gospel? I think so. Jeremiah speaks of fishers and hunters sent forth by the Lord. Elder LeGrand Richards said that the fishers and hunters described in Jeremiah 16:16 are missionaries of the Church. We have a part in this today!

I am grateful to have some insight into this kind of exodus. Still, I am more grateful for the work those who’ve come before me have done. I am grateful the Lord has provided for us to take part in this great gathering.

Lucy In The Sky

Have you ever looked at a clear night sky just to stare at the stars? I have enjoyed looking at the stars during every season but never from the southern hemisphere. Still, the stars vary enough throughout the year.

The spring brings the most recognized non-constellation, the Big Dipper. It’s a part of the much larger star picture of Ursa Major. The bowl stars from the Bear’s back and belly. From the star Dubhe, faint stars extending westward from the bowl make up the Bear’s neck and head, while five stars curve below (to the south) to form one of its front paws. Extending below the bowl star Phecda are other faint stars that represent its hind legs.

With the campfires of summer, the stars shift allowing a view of the Summer Triangle, three brilliant stars – Vega, Deneb, and Altair. They are set in a large triangle. Like the Big Dipper, it’s not an official constellation but just an interesting pattern among the stars. The three stars in the triangle actually belong to three separate constellations. The brightest star, Vega, is a brilliant blue-white star that glistens like a diamond within the constellation Lyra the Lyre, the mythical instrument of Orpheus. Altair, the triangle’s southernmost star, lays within Aquila the Eagle, marking the beak of the bird. Finally, the third star in the Triangle is Deneb, representing the tail of Cygnus the Swan. Always among the best of late summer is the Perseid meteor shower. So called since the origin, or radiant, of the shower is within the constellation Perseus.

The fall months bring opportunities to witness meteor showers as well, with November’s Leonid and December’s Geminid.

Winter is one of my favorite seasons for looking at the night sky, smog and haze give way to crystal-clear nights. This presents a wonderful opportunity to view Orion on center stage. The Hunter is the most brilliant constellation of all and easy to recognize. Look for the three equally bright stars in a row. These form his belt. North of the belt lies the bright reddish star Betelgeuse (Beatlejuice – loved that movie). Betelgeuse is the right shoulder of Orion (seen on our left). His left shoulder (our right) is represented by the star Bellatrix. Above the shoulders is a faint group of three stars depicting Orion’s tiny head. Below the belt are the stars Rigel, representing Orions’ left knee, and Saiph marking his right knee. Faint stars make up a shield he is holding in his left hand and a club raised high over his head in his right hand. Interestingly, Orion provides examples of stars with differing colors. One of the hottest stars known, Rigel’s blue-white is generated with a surface temperature of about 23,000 degrees – over twice that of our yellow sun. The other of the scale, Betelgeuse’s red color is generated at a surface temperature of only 5,000 degrees. Hanging from the belt of Orion are the dim stars of his sword. The middle star of the sword is actually not even a star. It is a cloud of glowing hydrogen gas known as the Great Orion Nebula by backyard stargazers.

“The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun.” – Read My Mind by The Killers,

I am grateful for the night sky, for the stars shining above our heads. I am grateful for the times I’ve had to share the sky with my friends and family. I am grateful my daughters have graciously listened to me ramble about the starry sky. Yes, we are blessed with many wonders to behold but today I am particularly grateful for the stars in our sky.

The Great Blessing of Pets

People seem to grow much attached to their pets. From my earliest childhood, I remember my parents had dogs. The first dog I remember was named Happy because my older brother perceived something of a permanent smile on the dog’s maw. When Happy was no long part of the family, my parents acquired another dog, which was replaced by another when it died. The next dog was with the family for many years, dying after I returned from living in Japan for two years. Named for the little doll made of tar used as a trap in the Brer Rabbit stories, Tar Baby was certainly a beloved part of our family. Interestingly the little tiny all black dog, a Chihuahua mix, outlived the one puppy we kept from her second litter. We named him Tuffy. Tuffy was a mix, almost twice the size of his mother. One afternoon, Tuffy returned to the house after being “out”. Tuffy liked to roam, even though we unsuccessfully tried to keep him locked behind the fence. This time, however, was different. It was the last time he left home. Someone had kicked him hard enough to bruise his backbone. The vet said there wasn’t anything but rest that could help Tuffy get better; so, I spent a lot of time nursing him back to health. By the time Tuffy was back to full activity, he had a habit of lifting his upper lip and showing his teeth at me in a doggie kind of smile. I had trained my dog to “smile”. Well, there’ve been stranger things.

In the last twenty years, we’ve had a few dogs as well. Currently, we have two Welsh Pembroke Corgis. One is marked with red and white, the other is mostly black. Their personalities are just as different as their coloring. Still, all things considered, they are part of my family. I spend time with both dogs every single day. Our hero dogs are Zoe Defender of Katan and Bailey Fancy Boots of Katan (AKC is a strange world). Funny, Zoe is the one who likes to sit at my feet just happy to feel me scratching her ears while Bailey is all about chasing that ball. What’s really funny, though, is how they’re so much the same in those differences. They only want to be next to the other members of the family. They seem to only find ‘joy’ in being with us, being a part of our world.

I try to avoid giving animals human emotions. Most of the time, I am very successful. These two little gals have gotten to me. I have actually started to think I can look at them and determine their thoughts.

Why do people have pets?

“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” – George Elliot

Pets are fun, entertaining, loving and they bring joy. Pets can improve health as well as strengthen the immune system.

The Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia conducted a 3-year study with over 5,000 people, and found pet owners to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-pet owners. The National Institute of Health noticed that pet owners make fewer doctor visits and in a 1999 study the Journal of the American Geriatric Society found that older pet owners are physically and mentally more fit.

Pets promote social interaction. We all know the cliché of the guy with the cute dog in the park, sitting on a bench and all the passing women stopping by to pet the pooch which inevitably leads to a chat with the owner. But hey, it’s a cliché for a reason – it works!

Pets encourage exercise. Some more than others but more especially rambunctious puppies encourage people to move, to exercise, to get off the couch.

Pets are non-judgmental. Dogs love you without condition. Cats….are a bit more finicky, but still love you if you treat them well. And neither will care what you look like or accomplished that day.

Pets encourage laughter. They’re playful, reminding us not to take life too seriously.

Pets help with depression and loneliness. Depression and loneliness come from an inward focus. A pet provides an outward emphasis with the promise of love and affection.

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” – Ben Williams

Children growing up with pets develop more empathy. Many times children view animals as peers and seem to understand them better than adults. Children can learn to read animals’ body language, and unlike adults, animals don’t pretend or play psychological games. Once they’ve grown, these children will better be able to read the body language of people, their learned empathy will also carry over.

Mental stimulation. Animals encourage social interaction which triggers memories and encourages communication.

Reduced blood pressure. Studies have found that having a pet actually reduces blood pressure and triglycerides.

Physical touch. Infants who are not touched enough, fail to develop well, both physically and emotionally. Touch is very important for the mind and spirit; however, many people are wary of touching even family members. Pets are a safer alternative for some.

Relaxation. The reason so many dentists and doctors have fish tanks in the waiting room: it provides a sense of calm, helps to decrease heart rate and blood pressure.

Maybe it is time to get our fish tank going again. We had fish before we moved to California. It was mostly a good experience until I bought those snails to help with fighting algae. They ate my aquatic plants instead.

I am grateful for the pleasure pets have brought into my life. My dogs are wonderful, always happy to see me, always wanting to be next to me, always seeking my attention. They’re standing at the back door watching me type this right now. I am grateful for the good energy they bring into my life.

The Greatest Man I Ever Knew

Outside to this four-year-old boy was very fascinating. There is so much unknown space to explore, so much to see and touch. The backyard was a place protected enough to allow him to run without care or concern from his parents. At least he didn’t notice the protective eyes that watched over him as much here. Grass and trees, a swing-set and lots of space to run made for a great place to play.

There was that other space. The garden. The retaining wall bound the garden to a higher plane, one this little boy could not quite reach on his own. That alone enthralled the boy. There, just beyond his reach, was even more dirt, textures and little crawling critters. He wasn’t allowed to be there alone, though. It was not a playground. Well, that is what mom always said.

Today was a special day with new experiences. Perched on the retaining wall much like a carrion bird, the boy watched ready to pounce into action as his father turned the soil preparing the ground for the years first planting. He was “helping”! Helping dad in the garden was a very new activity. Like most young boys time with dad was his favorite time. Whether it was in the garage working on some cabinet or maintaining the car, working in the front yard or watching as dad worked the cement mixer, being where dad was meant fun. Spending time with dad was this boy’s most favorite activity.

An annual ritual that signaled the start of the long California growing season, the man took meticulous care as he augmented the clay soil with horse manure. The action of turning the dirt with a spade to mix the soil and fertilizer into one homogenous bed of nutrients for the vegetable garden took on an almost hypnotic rhythm. The spade sliced through the dirt, lifted, turned. Slice. Lift. Turn. Repeat. Repeating the same actions over and over became a therapeutic and calming event for the man. He was nearly finished with the preparation and it was almost time to plant. Nothing was as pacifying as the time he spent in his garden. Whether it was troubles at the office, difficulties at school, or minor puzzles to be solved in the yard, the garden was a place where his mind to work out the kinks. The child watching today created a new twist to this otherwise solitary task. The man was almost as excited to have him there, as the boy was to be with his father.

Hardly able to contain his excitement, the boy just couldn’t hold still. Of course, the shovel was far too big for him to manage so his time for helping had to wait. Anxiously watching, the peaceful moment dad was feeling was completely lost on him. The boy really liked the sound of the steel spade slicing into the ground. It was a very interesting scraping sound, very different from anything he had heard before. Shuddering once, it was not uncomfortable in any way but he could feel it deep into his bones. Sshhlusshh! Sshhlusshh! The boy felt his excitement build each time dad sliced into the ground. Sshhlusshh! Sshhlusshh!

The love the man felt for the earth was something he wanted to share with his son. There was so much to gain from the effort. In fact, the reward seemed so much greater than the required sweat. Even if gardening didn’t provide that calm he usually found, there was so much more to gain. Very little in this life was as god-intimate. A partnership between man and god provided such wonderful bounty. By simply planting a seed and maintaining a good growing environment, the outcome was almost always secured. So, today was special because he was going to share this love with one of the most important parts of his life, his son.

Setting the spade aside, the man handed a small gardening shovel to his son. It was time to start the planting. The current crop was corn. Spaced just right at the top of the raised rows, the boy would make small holes into which he would drop three or four corn seeds. It was the man’s turn to watch as the boy went through the motions. Drawing the boy close, the man helped the boy make the first hole.

“Not too deep but just enough to keep the birds from eating the grains. Take the shovel and make a small hole here,” he explained to the boy.

The boy’s only utterance, “OK.”

The boy took the little shovel in both hands and stuck it into the ground, pulling about half a cup of dirt out of place, moving it slightly to the side. The man handed the boy a packet of corn seed, motioning for him to open it. Being careful to avoid spilling the seed, the boy tore the envelope open along the top.

“Now, place just three or four kernels into that hole. Then, you just cover them up with the soil.”

Carefully, the boy counted out four kernels and dropped them into the hole, moving the dirt back to cover the seeds. The man and the boy moved over just a foot and repeated the motions. Only fifteen minutes later they had finished planting the first row. The boy beamed with pride, the father just as happy. Working together, the duo moved onto the next mound and continued to finish the planting.

****  ****  ****  ****

Today, I'd express gratidute for the greatest man I ever knew. My father. He was the most selfless man that ever walked the face of the earth. Never one to think of his own needs or concern himself with his own comfort, he provided the perfect example of service, love and kindness. I am grateful for the time he spent with me as a child, an adolescent and as an adult. I am grateful for the times he allowed me to help him but more particularly those times it would have been easier to do it alone. There is no way for me to recount all this man taught me. I can say this. No man was a better example. He never taught something he didn't practice in his own life.

I am grateful for my father, the best mentor, the best hero any boy could ever have.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

- Thomas A. Edison

The Soundtrack of My Life

So, do you have a soundtrack in your life? I do. I am grateful for my soundtrack, my music. It makes my life more meaningful.

Music has a way to cause emotions to well up. The feelings are gripping, even irresistible. They sometimes seem to emerge from nowhere. Music can color moods, affect perceptions and generate behavioral patterns. It’s a fact that music has the power to evoke emotions. I don’t think there is anyone for whom music is completely emotionally neutral. Music can tap the still, mysteriously deep well of emotion.

The emotional response produced by music is different for everyone. In fact, that response can vary in the same person at different times. The emotions produced by music may also be varied – peaceful, relaxing, exciting, festive, boring, unsettling, invigorating . . . etc. Does your soundtrack change as your life events change? Mine does.

I remember listening to Bill Cosby talk about his theme music. Da d’da d’dum… Theme music like a super hero! Imagine what life would be like if others could hear your soundtrack. My life has always been too inconsistent to have always the same theme song. Maybe mine would be a variation on a theme. You know something like you’d find on any Law & Order show. The music has a consistent theme but changes a little depending on what is going on.

Music communicates better than most other mediums. Like the sense of smell, music will affect people more profoundly than most other forms of communication. Music not only explores all the features used in verbal communication, it does so in an explicit, structured way pushing beyond the limits, creating an interesting, useful window into human communication.

I am thankful for those aspects of life not immediately recognized as music. The rhythmic sound of a train, the waves breaking on the beach, the song of a cricket rubbing its legs together, even the buzzing of an electric fan produces a soothing quiet. Good music touches our emotions. Deeper than just emotions, music reaches into our very soul and leaves an imprint on us. This power music has is difficult to describe. Language cannot fully describe the power of music. Still, it is a mystical experience that is nearly universal.

Music can endow the listener with incredible pleasure. It can be simple or complex, subtle or overt. It can emanate from the rhythm or the melody; however, some of the greatness of music lies in the holistic nature of all the elements together. It’s a unique wholeness which may not be understood logically. Still, no matter how complex, music can easily be appreciated with the mind without formal training.

I am grateful that music doesn’t require an advanced degree to truly appreciate or enjoy it. You don’t have to know about instruments, pitches or notes. You don’t have to know how to recognize the dots and lines on a sheet to know that you like it. Music is wonderful. I am grateful that learning more about music doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

I am very grateful for the soundtrack of my life, for the music that is everywhere, for the music in my head. I am grateful for the times I can share music with my wife, my daughters and my friends. I am grateful for the times I can just sit and enjoy music alone.