Spirit – Page 34 – Disney Customer Service Keynote Speaker

Twistee Treat To Do

I still have the post-it note up on my office wall, near the phone.

Crazy, isn’t it? I mean the things we think about and the things we do.

So, in the midst of the fairly intense topic the past few days, I’m going to switch gears today, and revisit a topic from ten days ago.

Something like 14 months ago, we thought our beloved Canine Son (Yellow Lab) Carter was going to die, perhaps in less than one week.

I asked our son, “What do you think we should do with Carter before he leaves us?”

“Take him for ice cream at Twistee Treat”, he said, without hesitating.

And that’s exactly what we did. In hind sight, that trivial post-it note probably didn’t need to be written. I mean, what Father would forget to do something as important as honoring this “last request”?

And then there’s the next question, “Why does this adult (50) still have a stupid little post-it note hanging on his office wall?”

Not Sure I Can Do This

After re-reading yesterday’s post, I’m having second thoughts about whether to continue down this path.

Why?

Because it feels like it goes against being humble, and it feels very awkward.

What is driving me, compelling me, to want to share this, is so that you see that I have no special privilege or talent.

I just work really hard. Hard work is the only antidote to life’s challenges.

And even then, it’s not 100% guaranteed.

But one thing is guaranteed. If you don’t try, you will never know.

Guilty Feeling

What makes humans feel guilt?

What makes you feel guilty?

Know what makes me feel guilty?

Goodness.

This week, my son and I have taken several sunset walks. We end up in our back yard. A really big back yard. The sun has set, and now it’s twilight.

“Son, look around. Do you see how much space is here in this yard, from one side to the other?”

He says, “Yes.”

“I’m not saying that other sized yards are better or worse. I’m just saying that Mommy and Daddy worked really, really hard to make this yard possible.”

For something like seven years, Cheryl and I spent, what seemed like a majority of our weekends looking for a big yard near Walt Disney World.

The first 15 years in Central Florida, I worked every weekend, and had either a Saturday or a Sunday off, but never both.

And on that lone weekend day off, we combed the area north of Disney, south of Disney, east of Disney, west of Disney.

The result? Nothing. Year after year. Nothing.

Until one day….

Everything Is A Miracle

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

Attending Kevin’s funeral on Christmas Eve, this quote from Albert Einstein was printed on the cover of the funeral bulletin.

Have you ever been struck with a profound thought or observation, when you least expect it? When it’s presented in such a deceptively simple format – in this case, printed text?

One more thing struck me from attending Kevin’s funeral, but not until this very moment. Kevin’s son, maybe three years old, was there, of course. Estimating there were 300 people attending.

But the only other child I saw was the one in my arms most of the Mass.

Funeral For A Friend

Ever get ahead of schedule on a project? Hardly ever right? Well, I can’t remember the last time it’s happened to me, except for right now.

It’s December 24, 2009, Christmas Eve as I write this, and we are getting ready for 5:00PM Mass, the Children’s Mass.

A few hours ago, my son and I attended a funeral for a friend.

Kevin and I were colleagues 14 years ago. His Family and my Family attend the same Church. his son is even younger than mine.

Kevin fought brain cancer, and had won, for the past eight years or so, maybe longer.

My Family and I were in Church when we heard the sad news this past Sunday.

Kevin went to Heaven. His funeral was beautiful. His life was beautiful.

Ever know someone, not well enough to be close friends, but well enough to call friend?