December 31

It's New Year's Eve (Day) and what would have been my Dad's 89th Birthday.

He has been gone for a long time, and I still miss him every day.  Aside from teaching me which end of a gun is the dangerous one (no, it's not the one with the little hole in it, it's the one with the operator attached) he imparted a lot of wisdom about family and life in general.  Any of you who know me have heard most of this before, but I thought I would impart a few gems, derived from the other things he taught me, as a way to ring out the old year.

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There are only three things you need to do to successfully raise children:  Love them, love them, and love them.  Of course, you will need to deal with the inevitable "You did what?!" moments, but one of the three things listed above will equip you.

A father's main job is to provide his family with a safe place to learn how to deal with all the crud that life will throw at them.  His secondary job is to impart what his father taught him, and what he learned while coping with being an adult, to his children. 

Girls will mature faster than boys.  Actually, girls will mature, boys will remain 12 years old at the core until they die of old age.  The inner Peter Pan keeps old men from being lousy grandfathers.

If you want to learn how to love your children or your spouse, listen to your dog.  He does not know how to not love unconditionally.  You may have to make a few course corrections, but unconditional love of your family will give you a map to a happy life.

Government is like a laxative.  Unless you are really lucky, you will need it every once in a while, but you will be up to your neck in effluent if you rely on it too much.

God will not throw anything your way that you cannot ultimately deal with successfully.  You might not enjoy the trip, but arriving at the end of the problem will be worth the grief.

Life is like the little kid who dove into the stable full of horse crap because he knew there was a pony in there someplace.  It may be unpleasant, but there's a reward at the end.

Never trust a cat.

Never pet a stray dog.  Make him your friend first, but keep your fingers away from his front end while you're doing it.

Engage brain before operating mouth.

Y'all get the general idea.  Life is a blessing, and how you deal with its little "opportunities" is entirely up to your own outlook.  You'll be happy if you look at the good side of events, and Ebeneezer Scrooge (pre-ghosts) if you don't.  It's your choice.

Thanks, Dad.  I think you taught me well, and I pray that I'm up to the task of passing it along.

Stay well, and make the best of your opportunities in the New Year.