And now... the rest of us......

I took time to visit about Rhett and Ryan last night, and wanted to talk a bit about the rest of the family as soon as possible....

Corbin, although son #3, is really the middle child, since the older boys are twins. Corbin is definitely one to go his own way. As a boy, he struggled a bit to forge his own identity, as I'm sure is a characteristic of middle children, in that he probably thought he was in the shadow of the twins. I always thought this was probably due to the novelty of older sibling twins and the attention they often garner. I hope I played some role in helping him realize he didn't have to be like them, and that he could and should be himself. He did, and eventually grew to like who he was and, hopefully new that Jenny and I loved him for exactly who and what he is. Corbin is very bright and has an independent crust, but inside, he's a softy. He is very independent, doesn't need a lot to make him happy, and loves music. He hopes to make his way in the world in music and or film. I hope he does. Wouldn't life be great if we all spent life doing what we love as our vocation? Corbin is never indicisive, and pretty well knows what he wants to do with his time. I truly enjoy the heart to heart talks we occasionally have.

Chad is the youngest. Again, the birth order seems to have worked itself out pretty well in our family. He is carefree, doesn't appear to worry much, has a simplistic view of life, and is very loyal to his friends. When all the boys were still in high school, I was told many times by many people, including his counsellor that Chad was the most popular kid at Norman North. Guess he pretty well knew everyone in school with brothers that were seniors and a junior. To wind up the birth order issue, let's just say that Chad will probably both forget, and be late for, his own funeral.... And, hopefully, the fender-benders are done with. But, he's a sweet kid, not a mean bone in his body, and takes nothing too seriously. Now if he'll just find what it is in life he wants to do, I'll quit worrying. This next month will be his first year in college, and he'll start at a community college, hopefully transferring to OSU with Rhett, or another local school sometime during the next year or two.

And now my lovely bride... Jenny. Let me begin by saying that I don't know what I ever did in life to deserve such a wonderful mate, but I surely missed it when it happened. I love her more now than I did when I married her, and for me that means quite a lot. I've never seen a wife sacrifice, work hard, worry about her husband and kids, and take care of us all, like she does. It is truly amazing. I respect her as much as I love her, and that is the foundation for the deep feelings I have for her. I can't imagine life without her. I look forward to growing old and spending life with her. The older I get, the more I am impressed with the importance of the friends and spouse we choose. Life is so busy, full of obligations and responsibilities, that our time becomes very precious. My good friend and high school track coach, Bob Haley, told me it would happen, but I didn't appreciate the significance at the time. With such little time to spend with those we choose, friendships and our mates, those become very important to life and add to it in untold ways. It makes me appreciate those that call me a friend, and for my wife to enjoy her life being spent with me. It is an unimaginable honor. She is a jewel and I hope she knows what she means to me. I try to tell her, but I'm sure I don't do it often enough. What she has done for me, and what she has sacrificed for the boys deserves more repayment than I can possibly give her. The best I can do is to make every day good, and for her to see me take care of my responsibilities every day, in order to give her and the boys the best in life I can. In my personal life, that is my daily goal and my mission.

I have begun to realize that most of us primarily affect a relatively small sphere of people in life. I won't ever affect the masses, but those around me, family, friends and neighbors, deserve the best I can give them. The most important thing we all will ever do in life, is to make better the lives of those close to us. After we're gone, in a few short years, our lives will likely benefit only those few friends and family with whom we spend our time. Hopefully what we give them will be passed on. If we can do that, we've well spent our alloted time.

Until next time.....