In the Carolinas, summer means “Going To The Beach,” but in New Jersey, the idiom is “Down The Shore” (pronounced as one word, “downashoor”). So when our grandson was invited to compete in the 2019 US Sailing Youth Championship, we had the perfect opportunity for a few days down the shore on Long Beach Island.
Family
The Perfect Beach Trip … until …
It was to be the perfect week at the beach, and it was, right up until the police arrived. The brother and sister started planning an early summer trip for their own young families. “There’s no better way to get to know each other than by living for a week under the same roof,” the brother said to his sister, wanting their children – cousins – to be close. She agreed. They would soon find out how right they were.
A Thanksgiving I Will Never Forget
I’ll never forget my first Thanksgiving away from home. After only a few months of work, I was promoted to an assignment in the home office; told to report, bright and early, on the first Monday of November. The year was 1963, and my career was off to a good start.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Our children grew up with public television. The dial on the TV was set to The Electric Company, Zoom, Sesame Street, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers was about kindness and love. And that bothered me.
Memories of Christmas Past
My memories of Christmas all run together – like one big happy dream. The family gathers for good food on the table, with gifts to share, then everyone leaves full of The Good Spirit hoping to make the moment last for another year.
Make A Beginning
Everything has a beginning, but not everything gets to start again. Today, my mother’s afghan is starting over – making its new beginning. Mom crocheted the afghan years before I was born. She kept it on the back of our living room sofa, always ready for use. There were never any, “Do Not Touch” signs in mom’s house …
The Perfection of Imperfectness
I can still see the surgeon, dressed in his operating scrubs, as he told us about the steps he used to repair our child’s walnut sized heart. Thirteen years later, I asked my son if he would like to have the scar hidden with some type of cosmetic treatment. “No Dad! Chicks dig scars!” was his immediate reply. Thirty years later, I’m still inspired by how wise and enduring those words were. We all have scars. There’s a vast variety of them in our lives. Some are physical and some emotional. They can be self-inflicted, other-inflicted, or purely accidental.
Celebrating the Father in All of Us
Did you celebrate Father’s Day? We did. It was fun. I’m very fortunate to have been loved by a great dad, one who believed in me, and I’ve tried to do the same for my children and grandchildren. So, I’ve been wondering what it takes to be a father, other than, of course, the right plumbing and a partner.
“Granddaddy Day” – Priceless
It started in 2005 as my Christmas gift to our four grandchildren. I wrote each their own card announcing “Granddaddy Days.” They were to be special days when we would spend time together, one grandchild at a time, for the full day. The initial impressions that morning were not good, but quickly became a cherished tradition. Seeing the world through the eyes of my grandchildren is wonderful. I often think about where their curious minds will take them as they grow.
A Family Tradition of Gratitude
Family gatherings, especially around the holidays, can be packed with traditions. Some old, some newer, but it’s the traditions forgotten – then revived, that can be the most special. This past Christmas there was a dented silver cup on the table with slips of paper folded inside. It went overlooked among all the other offerings on our festive table until midway through the meal …