There is a lot of talk these days about heroes. Usually, it’s a sports personality who hit the winning home run or someone with a noble profession such as a fireman, who risk their lives on a daily basis to save the lives of others. My hero is not flashy and not too many people have ever heard of him but to many of us, he is the greatest man on earth. He is my father. Today, we celebrated my daddy’s 82nd birthday in a quiet  unassuming way which defines him. Yes, I am a daddy’s girl, but then, so are my other two sisters. Unlike the traditional daddy’s girl, we were not spoiled with lavish gift and allowed to get away with murder, though we tried! No, his way of spoiling us was to give us the most precious and scarce of commodities; his time. My dad has always been there for us, no matter what. I have never heard him say that he would rather be somewhere else, or be something else other than what he was, the head of five rambunctious kids and husband to  a beautiful but high maintenance wife.

My father came from nothing, growing up in a house with dirt floors. With the help of the GI Bill, he was able to go to college, the only member of his family to do so, and became a chemical engineer. Through his guidance and abundant love and support, all of my five brothers and sisters have college degrees, three of us have masters degrees.   Although he is the biological father of only five of us, he has mentored countless others, teaching them his gentle and thoughtful ways of solving problems.

These days find my daddy taking care of my mother who suffered a stroke last October. It would be easier for him to have others take care of her but he refuses, insisting on doing it himself, a physically and emotionally draining job for someone half his age. Every morning he goes for a walk with his faithful dog “Patches” and once a week or so you can find him out on the golf course teaching young whipper snappers the meaning of the word respect! He is truly the embodiment of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation.

So on this first day of Fall, my sisters and I and our families gathered together for a quiet celebration to commemorate the passing of yet another year of this remarkable man’s life. Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you so much, so very very much….

This is a photo of Sarah, Grandpa, me and Peter. Doesn’t he look great for 82????!!!

Three of grandpa’s seven grandkids let him know how much they love him.

Aiden and Peter having fun with the birthday boy…grandpa started it!

Peter and Sarah having a fun moment trying on Aiden’s Halloween costume.

Sissy says, “Happy Birthday Grandpa! See you next year!!”

When I was young, Memorial Day was spent with family and friends, usually by the beach enjoying the start of the summer season. To members of the armed forces and their families, past and present, it means something completely different. Wanting to serve my country and see the world, I left home at 23 to join the United States Air Force. Though I served for six years, the experience has left an indelible mark on me. To this day, every time I see a person in uniform, I see a brother/sister in arms, and feel an instant bond like nothing else I know. I also find myself searching their uniform for rank and prepare myself to salute or return a salute even though I haven’t worn a uniform in over 15 years!

So on a cloudy, slightly cool Memorial Day, I visited the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA. I didn’t arrive until late afternoon, I wanted to be there after the crowds had gone and just spend time thinking about those that I had served with, especially those that are still deployed in Iraq, and those at home supporting them. It is in your honor, Pete and Randy (both colonels in the USAF) and all the brave men and women who serve alongside you that I dedicate these images. God Bless and Godspeed. We are so proud of you.

The Riverside National Cemetery facing March Air Reserve Base.

This was the only cross I saw amongst thousands of flags. It belonged to a WWII vet. May he rest in peace.

The cemetery houses a beautiful memorial for Medal of Honor recipients. On one of the walls is written, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

The National POW/MIA Memorial is located near the entrance of the cemetery. It is both beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Coincidentally, this morning I received an email from a girlfriend in Michigan who remarked that her 84-year-old mother had told her yesterday that if she could hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world, she would go to New Britain Island (north of New Guinea) to find her husband who was MIA from WWII. She has not forgotten.

This three duck salute is a special tribute to a man who loved his family, his country, and his ducks. We love you and we miss you.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 am, couldn’t get back to sleep, got up, fed the dog, made a fresh pot of coffee, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, folded laundry, and straightened out the den. I looked at my watch; it was now 6:30a.m. I deliberated going for a quick 4-mile run but opted to write my mother a heartfelt message on a card, and while I was at it, wrote one to my sister Mary Lou as well. It wasn’t long before the tears ran down my face as I thought how lucky I was to have such amazing women as part of my life. My mother suffered a stroke last October. At the time, we all wondered if she would be around this year for Mother’s Day and thoughts of what life would be like without my mother preoccupied me day and night. It was a difficult time, to say the least. The day we brought my mother home from the rehab center is one that will stay with me for a long time to come. Even though she was unable to walk, her speech was intact and her prognosis was unsure; her blood pressure was higher than we wanted and we had to yet to see how much her body would allow her to recover. It didn’t matter; my heart was so full at the sight of my mother home again (she was at a rehab center for three long weeks) that I jumped up and down like a little kid saying “My mommy is home, my mommy is home!”

I am one of five children, three girls and two boys. I am the middle child, preceded by an older brother and sister, followed by the same. I cannot speak for my siblings but even now with two of my own children well on their way to becoming young adults, I still get an incredible sense of peace and tranquility knowing that my mother is around. I can remember being a teenager, having a bad dream and crawling into bed next to my mother. She didn’t have to say anything; all she had to do was move slightly aside, make just enough room to let me in, and within minutes, I found myself fast asleep. At 78, my mother still worries about me, tells me I take nice photos, wishes I could visit just a little bit longer (I see her every week, sometimes more), and tells me I’m young enough to find another husband! Mom! My mother taught me how to behave like a lady, how to cook, sew, take care of people, write letters, entertain, recycle, make do without, keep an clean and mostly orderly house, follow a religion, ….there are so many things that I do well because I had a mother who cared. Thank you mama. It is my utmost wish to give back to you everything that you have given me. Happy Mother’s Day!

Here are a couple of photos from today. The kids and I went to my brother Gilbert’s house for brunch. We were joined by our parents, and my youngest sister Mary Lou and her family. The food was great, the company was excellent. I even played a game of ping-pong against my 82-year old dad! Don’t let his age fool you, he is a shark when it comes to ping-pong.

My wonderful parents. They have been married for 51 years!

My beautiful sister Mary Lou, wonderful mommy herself.

Grandpa with Marcus (my brother’s son) and Aiden (Mary Lou’s son).

Me and my mom

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My crazy boy, Peter.

My nephew Nick, my lovely Sarah, my brother in law, Steve. He’s silly!

My sister-in-law Marcia and my nephew Marcus.

The kids doing what they do best…..

My God daughter Erin and Aiden. Aren’t they the cutest?!

Me playing ping-pong with a baby on my hip (and I’m barefoot to boot!) Isn’t that what motherhood is all about???

If you don’t know who Randy Pausch is, this is somebody that you really need to check out. He is a 47 year old professor from Carnegie Mellon who is dying of pancreatic cancer. He is the father of three young children, who are not aware of his illness, and he has given a lecture on how to live life, a lecture which he says is intended for his children once he is gone. To say that Randy is an extraordinary human being is an understatement; his strength in the face of adversity will surely become legendary and many will benefit from his life lessons. I know I will and already have. If you google Randy, you can find the Last Lecture in its entirety or if you are pressed for time, there is a nice synopsis of his original lecture from an episode of Oprah (thank you, Miss Oprah). He has also released book, and a DVD based on this now famous last lecture. I get goose pimples just thinking about his enormous contribution to the world simply by sharing his story. Thank you Randy. I will keep you and your beautiful little family in my prayers…

I first learned of Randy from watching an a recent interview with Dianne Sawyer (thank you Miss Dianne.) Shortly thereafter, I read a Parade magazine article summarizing his life lessons. It is from that article that I briefly share this remarkable man’s philosophy of life. The title of the article was “Randy Paush, The Lessons I’m Leaving Behind.“ (The words in the parenthesis below are mine).

Always Have Fun

“Each of us must make a decision, best captured in A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh characters. Am I a fun-loving Tigger or a sad-sack Eeyore?” (Randy has chose to be a Tigger.)

Dream Big

“Give yourself permission to dream. Fuel your kids dreams too. Once in a while, it may mean staying up past their bedtime.” (He was referring staying up to watch footage of man’s first walk on the moon. Funny how we can take for granted the dream that it took to put a man on the moon!)

Ask For What You Want

“Ask. More often than not, the answer will be sure.” ( How often do we stand in our own way by pointing out all of the obstacles that keep us from reaching our goal when sometimes, the answer is as simple as asking. Who knew!)

Dare to Take a Risk

“Attempt hard things, don’t worry about failing….Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted.” (Imagine the freedom we would experience by not worrying about all the what ifs ….awesome.)

Look for the Best in Everybody

” If you wait long enough, people will impress and surprise you…this takes patience, even years, in the end, people will show you their good side.” (I believe we see in people what we choose to see, which is often a reflection of ourselves. )

Make Time for What Matters

“Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.” (Check out the Jim Croce song, “Time in a Bottle“. Bring a tissue)

Let Kids Be Themselves

” My job is to help my kids foster a joy of life and develop the tools for fulfuling their own wishes.” (By doing so, we in turn give ourselves the freedom to be like children again, where anything is possible. It’s a win-win situation:) )

Please take the time to learn more about Randy, I guarantee it will be worth your while. On a personal note, I recently took a leap of faith and tried a couple of things that I wouldn’t normally do: I asked somebody I was interested in out for a date, and I entered a contest that I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance in-you-know-where of winning. The results? I crashed and burned on the prospective love interest (nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?), BUT I won a scholarship for the Photo Biz Boot Camp for photographers!!! Whoo-hooo! !!! The workshop is run by a multi-talented, brilliant, and extremely generous woman by the name of Liana Lehman . The workshop is designed for photographers wanting to take their business to the next level (that me!) I am thrilled beyond belief, this opportunity is a prayer answered. The Boot Camp is scheduled for the end of the month in Atlanta, GA. I will blog about how it goes when I return:) I will share the honor with two other scholarship recipients, Beth Daane and Ellen Mc Raney. Beth and Ellen have inspirational stories of their own, you can check them out at http://www.BananasEDU.blogspot.com. Congratulations ladies, I can’t wait to meet you both!

I hope that after reading this blog, you will want to check out Randy Pausch and learn more about him and his story. Let me know your thoughts, and if you have found some inspiration from him too. Be well and have an awesome day!