The life of this blog has provided an outlet for many different emotions over the few short months of its existence. Through my stories the blog has tried to make you smile, laugh, love, remember, cry, enjoy, celebrate, relax, reflect, anticipate, honor, and most of all think. This evening, I find myself working through all those emotions. The weekend had a roller coaster of ups and downs worth of emotion. An accident 500 miles away and a third birthday only 15 minutes from home made for an trying time for all of us when all said and done; wrap the weekend and put it on the shelf.

My great niece Madison (Deb’s niece’s daughter) celebrated her third birthday with mostly family this afternoon. “Madi” is a charm of a kid that can melt even the hardest of hearts. Fortunately, a Madi-party has attendees that she’s already mushed their heart. So we all just sit, watch, and hope we get a long hard hug from her when it’s our turn (a few of us try to capture just that right picture of her). Three years old – oh my – and she’s already able to tame a heart, heal if it’s broken, and instill hope in the hearts of all who know her. Many of us struggle our entire life just trying to accomplish one of those attributes.

In Kansas, my father-in-law began his recovery from injuries sustained Friday afternoon in a head-on collision near his farm. The accident gave him six cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a 2½ day hospital stay, a precautionary concern of pneumonia, and a burdensome sense of responsibility to the family driving the other car. If Madi knew of this man’s pain, both emotional and physical, she would certainly crawl into his lap and stay until her magic has mended his heart at the very least.

Some 73 years separate Madison from Great Grandpa Paul. She knows, or remembers little of him from only a handful of times spent together. Great Grandpa knows more of little Madi from the stories his family tells about her. Yarns, tales, and gossip enrich a family. It is those stories, whether true, embellished, judgmental, or false, that allows others to know members of the family; that defines the traits and character of individuals within the family circle; and can have a good, bad, or indifferent result.

Madi has a lifetime to hear, understand and contribute to the ever-defining family legacy she inherits. Let’s hope she embraces her heritage well. Paul is in the twilight of his legacy, yet he continues to hear, understand, and contribute to his proud family heritage. Let’s hope his family embraces life for what it is, what it has given, and what it has yet to yield…much like that Paul has embraced over the past 35 years as I’ve come to know him.

I write of the man I know only as my father-in-law, but know of him being also a son, brother, nephew, cousin, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great granddad. Of all these qualities, I know of him mostly as a provider. He was first to welcome me as a member of his family some 31 years ago – he had no qualms or minimum qualifications “providing” for my admittance. Before that, he gave summer jobs to an unemployed high school kid that he knew had the sweets on his #3 daughter – he had no hesitations or reservations in “providing” valuable work lesson opportunities (all the while keeping me busy, pre-occupied, and too tired to date his daughter). I can go on with more “provisions”, as many family and friends can as well, but it might be best to put it in book form one day knowing it would rival the number of pages in War and Peace.

On a personal note: for everything you’ve done, I want this post to say “thanks Paul”. In the years I’ve known you, you have always been honest, trusting, intelligent, fatherly, loving, and generous. There is nothing more I could have expected of you being my father-in-law. There is no one else I would have chosen to fill that role in my life.

I am certainly not qualified to pass judgment on a life lived, but I can say a life experienced deserves a thank you more often than is usually given. I try first to look for the good things in life, and avoid the looks for bad things life may offer…it only seems to cause hurt more than anything. I am fortunate to have good things happening with many caring family and friends between the Madison and Paul bookends of my life. The young of heart, as well as the heart of old can remind us, teach us, school us all to: smile, laugh, love, remember, cry, enjoy, celebrate, relax, reflect, anticipate, honor, and most of all think, if we let them into our hearts.

So, I think now I will thank you again, Paul…and you too, Madison. Life is good because of you both.