Tag: fatherhood

Do Your Personal Best!

Watching your kids perform is just such a blessing. Having your kids teach you a life lesson, even better. This weekend I had the opportunity to watch Tommy run in a track meet at Little Chute High School. I was just stunned by the turnout…hundreds of kids at the meet. Waiting for Tommy’s race was hard, as I don’t “wait” well. The time for his race was upon us, I was taking pix as fast as I could. I didn’t even want to take a set in the grandstand for fear I would miss the action, so here I was right up against the chain link fence near the starters blocks.

The gun went off and there they went. Tommy was one of 9 runners in the 800-meter race. I could see early that he wasn’t the fastest. I could see he wasn’t the slowest either. After the race, I could see he was excited. He ran other to me and told me that his time of 3:01 was his personal best… and he was so ecstatic.

Tommy loves to run and any chance he gets he is out running, but I learned an important lesson that day. It’s not about winning or losing against the crowd, it’s about beating your personal best and he did that on Saturday. And for that I could not be prouder!

Look for the Helpers

Over the past 2 days, our minds and hearts have been spilling over for the people hurt by the tragic bombing in Boston. You look for answers but they are few and far between. How do you explain this?

I love the quote by Mr Feed Rogers that has been circling the interwebs…

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world. – Freed Rogers

This is just so true… TRUE TRUE TRUE!!

its all how you look at things. Sure its easy to be mad and upset…even angry, but what does that get you. Zero.

This take look at the bright side to a whole new level… LOVE THIS!

I miss Mr. Rogers and the good he did!

2 Daughters Singing – Don’t Stop Believin’

amy and the other girl sing
Image by ankatank via Flickr

Today I was traveling to a church service activity with my 2 oldest daughters Madeline and Clara. There are many times in my life that I have been filled with pride and just overwhelmed with the love that only a father can have for their children and today was one. Sorry for all my friends who do not have kids yet, this may not mean as much to you, but it I’m sure it applies somewhere.

Traveling down highway 41, Madeline grabs her iPod and hands one ear piece to Clara, placing the other in her own ear and says “I’ll sing the first verse, you sing the other.” I really had no idea what I was in for and I really wish I could have bottled the emotion, it was so amazing. They both broke into Journey’s Don’t Stop Believn’ as featured on a new show on Fox called Glee.

Clara lead off with the first verse and Madeline the second. With each verse hearing their tender voices the tears just started streaming down my face. Again this is totally a dad thing and maybe so hard to understand. This was just one of a fathers precious moments. Verse after verse they sung, as sweet as could be. The heart, soul and tender innocence that was put into their rendition was amazing .

If there was any doubt, I love being a dad!

Just a small town girl, livin’ in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin’ anywhere

Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight train goin’ anywhere

A singer in a smoky room

The smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the nights

Streetlights, people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the nights

Working hard to get my fill,

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin’ anything to roll the dice

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some are born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights, people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the nights

Don’t stop believin’

Hold on to that feelin’

Streetlight, people

Don’t stop believin’

Hold on…

Streetlight, people

Don’t stop believin’

Hold on to that feelin’

Streetlight, people ohhhhhh…..

Don’t Stop!

-written by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neal Schon

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