Flowers be Pretty

81/2 Miles

Until last week, I had been undergoing cancer treatments every week for the past nine weeks.  Every week I worked Monday through Wednesday, flying to Chicago on Wednesday evenings, receiving a treatment on Thursday, flying back that evening and working on Friday.

So, now I'm on a break for a while until I have to return to Chicago the last week in June.  I decided to spend time with my parents and help my mother with different tasks around the house.  In addition, I am taking a little "me time" which includes walking.....alot.

The first day I was at my parent's home, I put on my gear and told my mother I was going for a walk.

"Where?" Mother asked.

"To Earlywine, the park nearby," I answered

"Well, okay.  Take your cell phone so I can call you."

"No, it is charging," I say.

"Then take mine," she responds.

"No, I don't want to carry a cell phone, Mom."

"Okay, I guess I'll just have to go with you," she replies.

"No....It is fine really.  I'm just going on a walk," I say.

"Well, lots of people go on walks and never come back," she says to my back as I'm walking out the door.

After a few days of walking (and coming home to my dad pulling out of the driveway on his way to hunt me down) I relented and started carrying my cell phone.  I've been walking five miles per day, and today I increased to eight and a half. 

I'm enjoying the summer.....living in the moment......Life is good.

Happy Father's Day

With the summer off, I’ve been spending the last week in Oklahoma with my parents.

Yesterday, after a family gathering, we drove to the nursing home so that my mother could look in on her older sister. My mother went into my aunt’s room while Dad and I sat in the lobby area and waited. After a while, my mother emerged from my aunt’s room and entered the lobby where my dad sat. She walked over to him, leaned down and planted a big kiss square on his lips. She said that my Aunt Faye had instructed her to give him a big kiss for her. As I witnessed this exchanged, I realized that my dad has driven my mother countless times over the years to visit her sisters in this nursing home, waiting patiently for her, understanding how important their time together is.

So, with Father’s Day approaching, it made me think about my dad and the legacy that he has left to his children. His life has been dedicated to his family…..clear and simple. He sees the best in everyone (with possible exception to the current President :)) Hard work, and good character are everything. Forgiveness is essential. And life is not about what people perceive you to be, it is what you are when no one is looking.

Well Dad, I’ve been looking for fifty years. Well done.

My Mom