My son, AJ, works with me. He has for years, but the situation is a little different now than it used to be. For the last four years, he had worked for the family business. Now, he works for the same company I work for. I recommended him for the job, knowing he would not let me down. I trust him. Although he is only 18 years old, he is one of my closest confidantes. He has a wisdom that is beyond his years and a common-sense unmatched by many adults.
AJ came to me yesterday to talk about personal matters. He was nervous and I understand that, but I have always told him that he can talk to me about anything he wants to talk about and I would listen. I never promised him I would be okay with every decision he made, but I would not explode or judge him. We talked about his concerns and I feel better about things. I feel even closer to him.
Not judging a person is not the same as accepting every choice they make. I am not saying that if your child is thief or a murderer you should be okay with it just because they are your child. I am, however, saying that if your kid is afraid to talk to you, or simply doesn't want to deal with your drama, they will not talk to you, and you won't be of any use to them whatsoever.
AJ and I spoke about his faith. I find myself getting closer to God every day and I want him to come with me. He has doubts about his faith, he gets angry at God, as so many of us do from time to time. He needed his father to reassure him that this is somewhat normal. Until our faith is cemented and our relationship with God is well-established, there will always be room for doubt, and blaming God for your ills is an easy, convenient way to absolve yourself of responsibility. I'm learning this now, I am grateful for the chance to teach this to him at this young age.
I do not advocate being your child's buddy, cool parents are usually not very effective. Discipline is crucial and should not be set aside so that your kid will like you. The important thing is to love your children as God loves you: without condition, without judgment, without limit.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Day # 134 - Ms. Rodriguez
She's standing in the hotel lobby and as I walk by she stops me. She asks if I am the manager. I tell her I am and she asks if I know of a local church with office hours. Since I don't know the answer (my church is a little too far) I offer to look it up for her. She follows me to my office and sits in front of my desk. I start searching and she starts talking. She tells me her identity has been stolen and that a police officer and his girlfriend have stolen everything from her as well as abused her in so many other ways.
I get through to a shelter and the woman on the phone is completely indifferent. She cuts me off and tells me they have no space, offering no further assistance. Ms. Rodriguez keeps talking. She asks about my dark features and if I'm Hispanic. I tell her my parents were both born in Cuba. She tells me she was in Cuba in 1997 and what a nice guy Fidel Castro is (she's lost me at this point.) I tell her I would love to meet Castro so I could stab him in the eye with a rusty icepick.
I'm having no luck finding a place to send her. She keeps talking, telling me about the $900 million that the black church stole from her and how she is being tracked. When I print up a web page for her, and there is a picture of a black person on it, she tells me "they" did it. They are watching her and they decide what happens. She warns me to stay away from black women. She tells me "they're voodoo" and will ruin me. She tells me about how the black church used $600 trillion to get Barack Obama elected. I want to tell her that there isn't that much money in the world, but what's the use. Although she is clean and articulate, she is obviously sick. She is calmly ranting about the evil black man and woman and how she intends to use her money (when she gets it back from the evil black church) to put through a bill in congress that will legalize any Hispanic person in the US illegally.
The thing about Ms. Rodriguez is, she's black herself. She spoke no Spanish. When I put her on the phone with an attendant, she handed me back the phone, saying she wasn't going to "talk with no n----r." I explained to her that the woman on the phone was obviously Hispanic, and a couple of minutes later, she finally got on the phone. I gave her money for a cab to get her to the shelter and she eventually left.
Now, it's obvious Ms. Rodriguez was sick. She had written manifestos, of which she gave me a copy. She painted her nails with my liquid paper, and was all over the place, mentally speaking. I don't know that she would have been a danger to anyone, herself included, but she was in need of help and it seemed pretty damn near impossible to find it for her.
How is it that a government that taxes the hell out of us under the pretense of "spreading the wealth around" has no services that can be offered to a person such as this? Christ said what you do the least among you, you do to me. Well, he must be pissed. This woman was no drug addict. She struck me as someone of at least average intelligence and of some education. She was paranoid, of that I'm sure, and what else?
We spend billions of dollars on Woodstock museums and bridges to nowhere and the NEA and to fund abortions. We pay farmers not to grow food in order to artificially inflate food prices while the rest of the world starves. I have no doubt that God put Ms. Rodriguez in my life for a reason. I believe I did the right thing. I tried to get her help. I got her to a shelter and I am praying that she finds the help she needs. While I did what seemed like enough at the moment, I wonder if it was. I wonder if I failed a test. I wonder if my humanity was enough. I wonder where she slept last night. I wonder if she slept last night. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder...
If you are given the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, you must. You do have time. You can spare a few dollars. You can help. Be a blessing to others and God will bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I get through to a shelter and the woman on the phone is completely indifferent. She cuts me off and tells me they have no space, offering no further assistance. Ms. Rodriguez keeps talking. She asks about my dark features and if I'm Hispanic. I tell her my parents were both born in Cuba. She tells me she was in Cuba in 1997 and what a nice guy Fidel Castro is (she's lost me at this point.) I tell her I would love to meet Castro so I could stab him in the eye with a rusty icepick.
I'm having no luck finding a place to send her. She keeps talking, telling me about the $900 million that the black church stole from her and how she is being tracked. When I print up a web page for her, and there is a picture of a black person on it, she tells me "they" did it. They are watching her and they decide what happens. She warns me to stay away from black women. She tells me "they're voodoo" and will ruin me. She tells me about how the black church used $600 trillion to get Barack Obama elected. I want to tell her that there isn't that much money in the world, but what's the use. Although she is clean and articulate, she is obviously sick. She is calmly ranting about the evil black man and woman and how she intends to use her money (when she gets it back from the evil black church) to put through a bill in congress that will legalize any Hispanic person in the US illegally.
The thing about Ms. Rodriguez is, she's black herself. She spoke no Spanish. When I put her on the phone with an attendant, she handed me back the phone, saying she wasn't going to "talk with no n----r." I explained to her that the woman on the phone was obviously Hispanic, and a couple of minutes later, she finally got on the phone. I gave her money for a cab to get her to the shelter and she eventually left.
Now, it's obvious Ms. Rodriguez was sick. She had written manifestos, of which she gave me a copy. She painted her nails with my liquid paper, and was all over the place, mentally speaking. I don't know that she would have been a danger to anyone, herself included, but she was in need of help and it seemed pretty damn near impossible to find it for her.
How is it that a government that taxes the hell out of us under the pretense of "spreading the wealth around" has no services that can be offered to a person such as this? Christ said what you do the least among you, you do to me. Well, he must be pissed. This woman was no drug addict. She struck me as someone of at least average intelligence and of some education. She was paranoid, of that I'm sure, and what else?
We spend billions of dollars on Woodstock museums and bridges to nowhere and the NEA and to fund abortions. We pay farmers not to grow food in order to artificially inflate food prices while the rest of the world starves. I have no doubt that God put Ms. Rodriguez in my life for a reason. I believe I did the right thing. I tried to get her help. I got her to a shelter and I am praying that she finds the help she needs. While I did what seemed like enough at the moment, I wonder if it was. I wonder if I failed a test. I wonder if my humanity was enough. I wonder where she slept last night. I wonder if she slept last night. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder...
If you are given the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, you must. You do have time. You can spare a few dollars. You can help. Be a blessing to others and God will bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Day # 115 - Off To Church We Go
I am not particularly religious. I don't have many rituals. But I am spiritual and I am always in need of a boost because the road ahead is always challenging and full of temptation.
So, in spite of the exhaustion and the pain in my ankle that won't go away, I will be in church at 9:30 this morning. The music, the message, the feeling of being around other, positive people, will give me the boost I need. And this feeling will last me all week. The lessons will last me all my life.
I am not here to witness to you. I am not going to try to convert you. If that happens, great, but it was never the intention of this project to do so. I write this for posterity. I want my children to understand me. I want to make it possible for future generations who come from me but never meet me to know who I was and why I did some of the things I did.
But, like most of the reason for this project, I go to church for me. It's a wonderful way to release emotion, to gain perspective, to grow as a person, and a Christian.
Find yourself a spiritual home, whatever it may be - church, synagogue, whatever. The benefits outweigh the "sacrifice" of waking up early on a Sunday (or Saturday.) Besides, I'll be home in time for football.
Go Dolphins!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
So, in spite of the exhaustion and the pain in my ankle that won't go away, I will be in church at 9:30 this morning. The music, the message, the feeling of being around other, positive people, will give me the boost I need. And this feeling will last me all week. The lessons will last me all my life.
I am not here to witness to you. I am not going to try to convert you. If that happens, great, but it was never the intention of this project to do so. I write this for posterity. I want my children to understand me. I want to make it possible for future generations who come from me but never meet me to know who I was and why I did some of the things I did.
But, like most of the reason for this project, I go to church for me. It's a wonderful way to release emotion, to gain perspective, to grow as a person, and a Christian.
Find yourself a spiritual home, whatever it may be - church, synagogue, whatever. The benefits outweigh the "sacrifice" of waking up early on a Sunday (or Saturday.) Besides, I'll be home in time for football.
Go Dolphins!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Day # 18 - The little things. The shift.
I have had bad days since I started this. I have had bad days before and when this is over, there may still be bad days. It's going to happen every now and then. It's how we handle it that matters. Yesterday was a pretty rough day. One of those to make me lose my temper, but I chose not to. I calmed down. I breathed. I made declarations and I asked God for help. Now, the nature of the problem is completely irrelevant. Personal problems are relative. What upsets me may be a walk in the park for you and vice versa.
My car didn't want to start yesterday morning. That was the beginning. The battery is relatively new (2-3 months) so it shouldn't have been a problem. That could have set the tone because the problems only got worse.
I decided it was, like all challenges, a test. One I would not fail. I found myself angry and brooding, so I retreated. Instead of being in the house where the kids would witness me popping if I lost control, I went outside and did yardwork. Breathing and thinking - not stewing and brooding. I worked through it in my mind and conquered the demon.
What I find really interesting in all of this is that each time I read the words of an ancient philosopher or self-help guru or spiritual leader, it all sounds familiar. I am not making discoveries. There's no need to rewrite the Bible, it already exists. The same can be said for most of what is changing my life as I write this. Maybe my method is new (accountability to cyberspace? I don't know what to call it) but the idea is age-old. I guess the lesson is that if I can do it, anyone can.
I really don't know if this is helping anyone other than myself. I have received some words of encouragement from friends. I was taking with Abby yesterday and I told her this entire experience would be worth it even if I never shared it with a soul, but to really make it matter, I have to share it with anyone who needs it. This, of course, left me pondering my future. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. Live in the now. If spend all your time planning for tomorrow, you will miss today.
I know the time will come for me to share this with the world in a more serious manner. Until it does, I'll continue my education and personal development.
Lessons:
- Empathy. You may not understand what a person is feeling, but that doesn't make it less real.
- Nothing builds more than love. Nothing destroys more than anger.
- No need to reinvent the wheel. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
- Live for the future, live in the moment.
- Education continues long after school ends.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better.
- I will live for today, a day which God has made for me.
- I will be a friend to someone who needs a friend.
- I am the master of my emotions - not the other way around.
It's Sunday. Go to church. I mean it. If you feel like you are missing something in your life, perhaps it's time you went out looking for it.
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
Always,
Adolfo
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My car didn't want to start yesterday morning. That was the beginning. The battery is relatively new (2-3 months) so it shouldn't have been a problem. That could have set the tone because the problems only got worse.
I decided it was, like all challenges, a test. One I would not fail. I found myself angry and brooding, so I retreated. Instead of being in the house where the kids would witness me popping if I lost control, I went outside and did yardwork. Breathing and thinking - not stewing and brooding. I worked through it in my mind and conquered the demon.
What I find really interesting in all of this is that each time I read the words of an ancient philosopher or self-help guru or spiritual leader, it all sounds familiar. I am not making discoveries. There's no need to rewrite the Bible, it already exists. The same can be said for most of what is changing my life as I write this. Maybe my method is new (accountability to cyberspace? I don't know what to call it) but the idea is age-old. I guess the lesson is that if I can do it, anyone can.
I really don't know if this is helping anyone other than myself. I have received some words of encouragement from friends. I was taking with Abby yesterday and I told her this entire experience would be worth it even if I never shared it with a soul, but to really make it matter, I have to share it with anyone who needs it. This, of course, left me pondering my future. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. Live in the now. If spend all your time planning for tomorrow, you will miss today.
I know the time will come for me to share this with the world in a more serious manner. Until it does, I'll continue my education and personal development.
Lessons:
- Empathy. You may not understand what a person is feeling, but that doesn't make it less real.
- Nothing builds more than love. Nothing destroys more than anger.
- No need to reinvent the wheel. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
- Live for the future, live in the moment.
- Education continues long after school ends.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better.
- I will live for today, a day which God has made for me.
- I will be a friend to someone who needs a friend.
- I am the master of my emotions - not the other way around.
It's Sunday. Go to church. I mean it. If you feel like you are missing something in your life, perhaps it's time you went out looking for it.
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
Always,
Adolfo
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Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day # 8 - Nobody does it alone
In ten days my chairmanship of the Dania Beach Chamber of commerce will end. It's been two fantastic years that have taken forever and have passed in the blink of an eye. Yesterday I sat down to write my comments for this week's newsletter, in which I will talk about the accomplishments of the last two years. While those accomplishments are irrelevant to this conversation, thinking about them helped me realize something that I always knew but never thought about: Nobody does it alone.
I don't care who you are, you cannot do it alone. You need people in your corner guiding you, helping you. You need them to tell you when you are right and, more importantly, when you are wrong. There are no friends in the good times, just guests at the party. Friends are there to pick you up when you fall. Friends remind you of your abilities, and they remind you of your shortcomings. Anyone can praise. It's easy and it's comfortable. True friends remind us of our humanity; they criticize with love.
Anyone can come to your housewarming party, but it was your friend who helped lug your piano up the stairs. (I'm the guy with the piano.)
Today is the ninth day of this project and already I feel changes in my life. I am learning and this is becoming my new addiction. I am not as interested in the misery in the world. I know longer feel the urge to read about human suffering and get worked up about it. I am rediscovering what matters.
Yesterday, an old friend e-mailed me about what I have been writing. It moved me in a way nothing has moved me in a while. She reminded me of what I could be like and I realized that we sometimes lose the better parts of ourselves along the way. They are not lost forever, we can always go back and pick them up. And that's what I intend to do.
She told me about the things she learned from me. I am flattered. She is one of the most intelligent people I know, she is highly intelligent and possesses the kind of intellectual curiosity that ensures she will never stop learning and bettering herself. When someone like that tells you they learned something from you, it is a compliment. She's also a cutie, but that's irrelevant.
Her note reminded me about the great times we shared and the positive feelings her presence always gave me. I wondered why we drifted apart. We know that good friends are hard to find but we seem to forget they are easy to lose. The bible tells us to tether them to our hearts with hoops of steel. I intend to do just that. I will not let the people I love get away anymore.
I went to the library to read for a while. I had two hours and I spent it reading a small book on positive thinking. I took four pages of notes, which I will eventually transcribe and parts of which I will incorporate into my own philosophy. I listened to a summary of a book called the Master Key System. The book was written in 1912 and it helps me realize that the truth has always been there. I was just too busy to see it.
Today's Lessons:
-Freedom is everything. Forget security. When given the choice, choose freedom.
-Injustice, in all its forms, is to be fought.
-Good friends are hard to find, but easy to lose.
-Nobody does it alone.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
Adolfo
Start building your Success Library!
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I don't care who you are, you cannot do it alone. You need people in your corner guiding you, helping you. You need them to tell you when you are right and, more importantly, when you are wrong. There are no friends in the good times, just guests at the party. Friends are there to pick you up when you fall. Friends remind you of your abilities, and they remind you of your shortcomings. Anyone can praise. It's easy and it's comfortable. True friends remind us of our humanity; they criticize with love.
Anyone can come to your housewarming party, but it was your friend who helped lug your piano up the stairs. (I'm the guy with the piano.)
Today is the ninth day of this project and already I feel changes in my life. I am learning and this is becoming my new addiction. I am not as interested in the misery in the world. I know longer feel the urge to read about human suffering and get worked up about it. I am rediscovering what matters.
Yesterday, an old friend e-mailed me about what I have been writing. It moved me in a way nothing has moved me in a while. She reminded me of what I could be like and I realized that we sometimes lose the better parts of ourselves along the way. They are not lost forever, we can always go back and pick them up. And that's what I intend to do.
She told me about the things she learned from me. I am flattered. She is one of the most intelligent people I know, she is highly intelligent and possesses the kind of intellectual curiosity that ensures she will never stop learning and bettering herself. When someone like that tells you they learned something from you, it is a compliment. She's also a cutie, but that's irrelevant.
Her note reminded me about the great times we shared and the positive feelings her presence always gave me. I wondered why we drifted apart. We know that good friends are hard to find but we seem to forget they are easy to lose. The bible tells us to tether them to our hearts with hoops of steel. I intend to do just that. I will not let the people I love get away anymore.
I went to the library to read for a while. I had two hours and I spent it reading a small book on positive thinking. I took four pages of notes, which I will eventually transcribe and parts of which I will incorporate into my own philosophy. I listened to a summary of a book called the Master Key System. The book was written in 1912 and it helps me realize that the truth has always been there. I was just too busy to see it.
Today's Lessons:
-Freedom is everything. Forget security. When given the choice, choose freedom.
-Injustice, in all its forms, is to be fought.
-Good friends are hard to find, but easy to lose.
-Nobody does it alone.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
Adolfo
Start building your Success Library!
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Monday, May 31, 2010
Day # 5 - Reconnecting with God, and camping in the great indoors
I can think of no one who would not benefit from church. Before the PC police moves in on me, I am using church as a catch-all. Worship whomever you choose, I won't judge you, but don't think you can do it on your own. You can't. Although I have not always been religious, I have always been somewhat spiritual. Maybe not as spiritual as I should have been, but God has always been a part of my life, even if I made Him pace around the edges, waiting for me to decide to let him in.
This one-year journey I have embarked on in giving me a chance to reexamine my priorities on a daily basis. My focus five days ago was self-improvement. It still is, only it's now much more. Why improve the Me that is of this world while ignoring the Me that will go on? It's like washing a car with a faulty engine.
We went to church yesterday and I felt the spiritual connection to God that has eluded me lately. I listened to songs of praise and worship and could do nothing but close my eyes and cry.
Now, you worldly, moral-relativists might be rolling your eyes about now. Be my guest. I am trying to save myself and it'll be a while before I even think about saving you. I have never been one to engage in public displays of faith. I never raised my hands to the heavens and shouted out praises. I did not do this in church yesterday, either. But as I stood there in the balcony looking at so many who did, I realized I never felt disdain or anything negative for people who were so moved. Rather, I always wanted to be like them.
Some of what I learned yesterday:
God created me (and you) with a plan.
It's never too late to reach your potential.
There is a lot of untapped potential in a graveyard.
These are things I always knew but had never learned. This is where my journey is taking me so far.
Of course, like any good Christian, I must be put through trials. Yesterday, the trial was in the form of retail. I am not a shopper. I think a lot of men are the same. I go into a store, make a beeline for what I need. I know the size, color, brand, etc. before I even leave my house, by the way. I get it, I fly through the store, knocking over displays and innocent civilians on my way to the cash register, and I get out.
Shopping with my wife and daughters is a trial. It is a test of my patience. Believe me, I am an impatient person. I don't have time for instant coffee. I am always in a hurry, even when I have no place to go.
Shopping is not a spectator sport. You have to be in the game. Tagging along with a shopper is not easy if you yourself are not shopping. After church, we went to lunch and my daughter Melissa asked if we can go to the mall. It's not like her. I fear the child is becoming her mother. I wanted a tomboy. I got girly girls. Three of them.
Instead of the mall, we ended up at Super Target, where we spent two thousand years. My patience is constantly tested by my two lovely children touching everything that looks especially expensive and fragile. It is further tested by people who shoot my kids dirty looks. My kids are well behaved. Anyone who has been around them will confirm this. When someone looks at my child out of the side of their eye just because the kid giggles, my father-protector instinct kicks in and I get the urge to jump on the person, break open their skull, and eat their brain.
But I don't. I smile, I take pleasure in knowing that my children are annoying a jackass. Personally, I get a kick out of watching kids playing, their imaginations at work. I see the human potential still left untapped. I feel hope for the future of my country. I see funny little people and I wish I could somehow keep them from losing all those wonderful qualities as they become rigid, jaded, adults, and grumpy old men and women.
If you are in South Florida, you know the temperature yesterday was approximately one billion Fahrenheit. We went from Target to Outdoor World to K-Mart. The mall would have been a better deal as the temperature in the car would reach apocalyptic levels each time we parked it in the sun. No, as a matter of fact, there were no shady spots. All this would be bad enough if we actually did some shopping, but this was just a way of passing the time.
I wanted to go camping. The girls wanted to go camping. Abby did not. From this impasse came the great compromise of Memorial Day weekend 2010. I set up the tent in the living room. Ridiculous? You betcha! Fun? Absolutely. The girls camped with their mother and I got the bed to myself for the first time in ten years.
I guess God rewarded my patience after all!
1st Corinthians 9:25 "All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."
See you tomorrow.
Adolfo
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Sponsored by HoneyBee Party Rental
and TNT Exterminating
This one-year journey I have embarked on in giving me a chance to reexamine my priorities on a daily basis. My focus five days ago was self-improvement. It still is, only it's now much more. Why improve the Me that is of this world while ignoring the Me that will go on? It's like washing a car with a faulty engine.
We went to church yesterday and I felt the spiritual connection to God that has eluded me lately. I listened to songs of praise and worship and could do nothing but close my eyes and cry.
Now, you worldly, moral-relativists might be rolling your eyes about now. Be my guest. I am trying to save myself and it'll be a while before I even think about saving you. I have never been one to engage in public displays of faith. I never raised my hands to the heavens and shouted out praises. I did not do this in church yesterday, either. But as I stood there in the balcony looking at so many who did, I realized I never felt disdain or anything negative for people who were so moved. Rather, I always wanted to be like them.
Some of what I learned yesterday:
God created me (and you) with a plan.
It's never too late to reach your potential.
There is a lot of untapped potential in a graveyard.
These are things I always knew but had never learned. This is where my journey is taking me so far.
Of course, like any good Christian, I must be put through trials. Yesterday, the trial was in the form of retail. I am not a shopper. I think a lot of men are the same. I go into a store, make a beeline for what I need. I know the size, color, brand, etc. before I even leave my house, by the way. I get it, I fly through the store, knocking over displays and innocent civilians on my way to the cash register, and I get out.
Shopping with my wife and daughters is a trial. It is a test of my patience. Believe me, I am an impatient person. I don't have time for instant coffee. I am always in a hurry, even when I have no place to go.
Shopping is not a spectator sport. You have to be in the game. Tagging along with a shopper is not easy if you yourself are not shopping. After church, we went to lunch and my daughter Melissa asked if we can go to the mall. It's not like her. I fear the child is becoming her mother. I wanted a tomboy. I got girly girls. Three of them.
Instead of the mall, we ended up at Super Target, where we spent two thousand years. My patience is constantly tested by my two lovely children touching everything that looks especially expensive and fragile. It is further tested by people who shoot my kids dirty looks. My kids are well behaved. Anyone who has been around them will confirm this. When someone looks at my child out of the side of their eye just because the kid giggles, my father-protector instinct kicks in and I get the urge to jump on the person, break open their skull, and eat their brain.
But I don't. I smile, I take pleasure in knowing that my children are annoying a jackass. Personally, I get a kick out of watching kids playing, their imaginations at work. I see the human potential still left untapped. I feel hope for the future of my country. I see funny little people and I wish I could somehow keep them from losing all those wonderful qualities as they become rigid, jaded, adults, and grumpy old men and women.
If you are in South Florida, you know the temperature yesterday was approximately one billion Fahrenheit. We went from Target to Outdoor World to K-Mart. The mall would have been a better deal as the temperature in the car would reach apocalyptic levels each time we parked it in the sun. No, as a matter of fact, there were no shady spots. All this would be bad enough if we actually did some shopping, but this was just a way of passing the time.
I wanted to go camping. The girls wanted to go camping. Abby did not. From this impasse came the great compromise of Memorial Day weekend 2010. I set up the tent in the living room. Ridiculous? You betcha! Fun? Absolutely. The girls camped with their mother and I got the bed to myself for the first time in ten years.
I guess God rewarded my patience after all!
1st Corinthians 9:25 "All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."
See you tomorrow.
Adolfo
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