Unexpected Blessings Part 2

So as I mentioned earlier we had a visit from Megan's Mom and Dad. They offered us a pretty amazing opportunity and I was really surprised and deeply touched by the offer. If everything works out the way we are planning, Megan and I should be the proud new owners of a new home. It is in an area that I would be proud to call home and has more than enough space for our family. This would not be possible without Mom and Dad coming to the rescue. I thought it was appropriate to share this with those who would be interested. I guess the whole point is that I really would have never expected such a gracious, thoughtful, and amazing gift and truly feel blessed to have such great people in my life.

Unexpected Blessings

How many times in your life do you actually realize that you are the beneficiary of true blessings? For much of my life I have always been of the opinion that it was up to me to take care of myself. I don't blame anyone for anything that it just happens to be the way I feel. those feelings have created this nagging feeling that I am alone (Not in the literal sense). I have not been the best at expressing what's going on in my life, but I try and be "there" for those around me. Now that we have that out of the way I can get back to my point.

There are times in your life when you may not know how much people care and think of you. From time to time you may feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and you are just scraping to get by. Well lately that's how I've been feeling. I work so that my family is taken care but I wish I could give them more. I think that anyone that provides for their family would share those feelings but I beat myself up over them constantly. Well Tuesday 10/04/2011 I seen a little light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll start by saying that I have not exactly been an easy son-in-law to deal with and I blame that mainly on my own short comings. I'm sure I could do better to be more involved in my family outside of my home but I have never really been that way. That being said, Megan and I were offered an act of kindness that I can honestly say I don't know we deserved.

We are currently living in a duplex that is either shrinking at an astounding rate or we are growing even faster; either way its becoming too small and quick. Well, due to some mistakes I'd rather not get into I am not afforded many opportunities to improve our way of living (housing arrangements). We have been in rent houses and made one gross attempt at buying a home but it failed. My Mother and Father in law came to visit this week and let us know that it would no longer be an issue. I will finish this up this afternoon but lets just say that the people you least expect help from are the ones who are first on the scene.

A Father's Underestimation

I have never been an exceptionally gifted person but I always took pride in the accomplishments I managed. During the course of my thirty years I have had many successes and failures but never really gave it much thought until I had children of my own. As a father you are blessed with the knowledge that you will be proud of your children and I am no exception. I have however failed to realize my son's true potential not only as my son but as a person. I am ashamed to admit that, and I really cannot express how disappointed I am for underestimating him.

I have been witness to something truly amazing over the last few weeks and I wanted to share it with the world. After lengthy discussion with Andrew; Megan and I decided he could play tackle football. I was obviously apprehensive since he is a little guy (60lbs) but he absolutely proved me wrong. Admittedly, he is not a spectacular player but normal standards (He is not a skill player) but the boy absolutely can play. I think back to those first weeks of practice and the bruises he came home with and I was sure he would ask to quit. Those questions never came though much to my surprise. The questions that did come are what really made me realize I underestimated him. He started asking how he could improve his game.

The questions aren't what got my attention though, what got my attention was his strength! Not his physical strength but how mentally tough the kid is. He takes a beating every single practice but I watch him helping other kids up, he is the first and last kid off the field, and he is constantly pulling on coaches shirt asking him questions. I've had a conversations with his coaches and they constantly rave about his attitude and the improvements that he has made. As I reflected on what I had witnessed it literally brought me to tears. The one person I should have expected this from was the last person I had. It really upset me to think that I hadn't expected this of him.

I am proud of my son and realize now that there is no obstacle big or small that he can't overcome. I regret that I underestimated him but I can honestly say I admire the young man he is becoming and I am proud to call him son.

Weekend Warriors

What a wonderful weekend! I swear that we accomplished almost nothing and had a great time doing it. Saturday morning Andrew's team but Jenks, Saturday evening we caught the TU game and Sunday we hit the fair. Seems like a lot but I don't feel like I did much of anything. Great time with my family and friends and I cannot wait to do it again...

View from the Cheap Seats

Far too often we examine our lives with high-powered microscopes in hopes of solving some great mystery. It’s funny though that we can often see what we are missing in our own life in what we see in those around us if only we looked. An example of what I mean is being able to offer advice for a friend that may be going through a tough time, yet you fail to see the benefit of taking your own advice. I am usually guilty of that and it drives me crazy when I reflect on conversations and see what I had missed initially.

I have developed this sense of caring that I didn't always possess and I'm not sure if I really like it as much as people would like for me to. During the course of a "normal" day I receive multiple visitors that are seeking someone to listen (I suppose I'm a good listener). After I hear what they have to say I can usually dissect the conversation and lend them some encouraging words and be done with it. I think some people make hundreds of dollars for doing the same but I'm cheap so it’s all good.

My problem with the above scenario is, I don't have the luxury of having someone's ear per se. Now you could easily argue that any of those people would be there for me without fail and I would agree with that statement if that was how I was made. The problem is I am not built like that. It really is hard for me to express myself in a normal situation (As it relates to my feelings). I would like to think that I am not terribly complex but I guess that just isn't the case.

I love and value those daily interactions and think I am a better person because of them, but I wonder if I am cheating myself by continuing to hide what’s on my mind... Just a thought...

Great Saturday

What a great fall Saturday. My son played today and the boys had a great game and came away with a strong victory. We also made arrangements to watch a TU game this evening and as a family we are excited. Three of the four of us are OU fans but we have no issues supporting TU. Hoping for a good game and that the kids enjoy themselves. I'll let you know how it goes!! Hope everyone enjoys their day!

Changing Seasons

Last night (Thursday the 29th) I was watching the boys wrap up practice for the week and something amazing happened. I actually caught a chill. Anyone who knows me I am not often cold so it was nice to finally feel fall weather coming in. It also stirred something deep inside me and I thought I would share.

For as long as I can remember until I joined the "real world" I was involved in sports. Football has long been a passion of mine and watching my son really made me miss my time on the field. If you have never played its hard to really express the feeling of being part of brotherhood. I'm not suggesting that other sports don't share similar qualities but football was always special to me. I can remember the smell of the grass, the coolness in the air, and the intensity on the field. I was so happy when Andrew decided he wanted to play ball and hope he can enjoy as much as I did.

Fall weather for me also means the return of hunting season. My brothers and I have not had a lot of time together since I moved from home, but something about Deer season changes that. It seems funny really because we go set in the woods and don't speak a word but those are some of the greatest and most memorable times together.

Please feel free to share what you enjoy most about the changing seasons.