There are moments in life when true character shines through, when you can see a person's heart without ever having met them. This is one of those moments.
Coach Maurice "Mo" Cheeks could simply have let the singer, Natalie Gilbert, flounder and fail, standing back and doing nothing, or worse - laughing along with the crowd. Instead, he showed that - regardless of which team won the actual game - the real champion was Mo Cheeks. What an example for Natalie, both teams, and the crowd watching the game.
To dad - Thank you for giving me both roots and wings, for teaching me correct principles and setting me on the right path. Thanks for the late nights and early mornings, the sleepless hours spent worrying and praying. Thanks for all you continue to do.
To my brothers both by birth and marriage - Thanks for being the men you are and raising your children with love and compassion in a challenging and sometimes scary world.
To my uncles and grandfathers - Thank you for your examples of care and devotion.
To friends both old and new - Thank you for your kindness and example, for "sharing" your families with me.
To all those who may not be fathers in the strict sense of the word - Thank you for sharing your time, talent, energies, and love with all those around you.
*Note - I was asked to speak in church on fathers. If you want to read my talk, you can go here.
Today, as I was sorting music I received from a friend I came across a few songs from a movie I hadn't thought about in several years - Rigoletto.
I found myself singing along to the songs, recalling the story they told of a man, Ribaldi, cursed to live misshapen and feared until someone could see past his outer physical deformities to his heart which, at the beginning, is admittedly as unpleasant as his outer appearance.
Ribaldi sings to the young girl, Bonnie, of a "curse" - but not in a way you might expect. He sings of how, oftentimes, we fail to take responsibility for our part in many of the trials that may befall us as we blame others for our misfortunes instead of being willing to change those things within our power and willing to accept those things which are not.
Eventually, Ribaldi begins to soften as Bonnie and the children of the town learn to look past his exterior to the man within and accept him for who and what he his. They see his kind and generous heart and it is that which draws them to him.
Sadly, as is the case many times, it is the adults - jaded by life, hardship and fear who refuse to accept Ribaldi. I thought to myself how often we choose not to look to past our first impressions of someone to give them a chance to show us the "melody" within them. In the same way, many times we refuse to let others hear our own "melodies" because fear holds us back. How often do we add pain to our own lives and that of others because we let fear and pride take over?
We need to remember that we do not know everything about those with whom we come in contact. We do not know their secret sorrows and fears, just as they do not know ours. We need to be willing to put forth the effort to truly know and care for those around us and, likewise, be willing to let others truly understand and care for us.
Until we each let the other in, we will never know how we can help and heal one another.
In what has become somewhat of a tradition in the past couple of years, my mom and as many of sisters and sisters-in-laws in my family as could come traveled to West Valley to see a play this weekend.
The play we saw this time was The Sound of Music. I thought it was quite a good rendition. They made a few additions to the script and rearranged the timing and placement of some of the songs in a way I thought added to the telling of the story.
It was a good day spent with many of the women I truly care for and admire.
(If you can't tell... the wind was blowing just a teeny-tiny bit.)
On Saturday I attended a Little League baseball game that my friends' children were playing in. We decided since the game had such a late start we would all pitch in and have a simple barbecue at the ball field before the game began. Here are a few shots of our little gathering. It made me smile.
(Quick disclosure - I know the photos aren't the best, but they captured the mood and fun of the evening.)
There are times in all of our lives when we each wonder if what we are doing is what we are meant to do. Are we settling for what is familiar or taking steps to live up to our full potential? Are we reaching for the stars or setting ourselves up for a fall?
Ultimately, if we look to ourselves - to our roots, to the people and experiences that brought us to this point - we will "know who [we are]" as we figure out who we want to be...
So here's to spreading branches far and wide, sending dreams along with them and having "faith to take chances, to live like I see a place in this world for me."
Maybe we've already found that place, we just need to recognize who and what we have in our lives and make the most of each moment and day.
Maybe we're still searching...
Whichever it is... remember that we all need to have roots before branches.....
