When Love is Love

Merry Christmas!  Christmas has always been special to me. I loved Christmas when I was young, and it was the same when you were all young. It has always been special and your excitement made it even more so. I miss Christmas with you in the US, but it is special here as well, but not the same without you. We don't have much to buy you presents, and haven't had for some time. But I can still do the greatest good for each of you. What is the greatest good a father can do for his children and they for theirs?  This year I want to express my love for each of you by doing the greatest good I can do for you, something that took a long time for me to learn and experience. What is this greatest good? When I think of the greatest good, I think of what the Lord revealed to Joseph: "...proclaim His gospel.... And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord." Christ stands between you and justice...

Mom’s Funeral Talk--April 6, 2007 I heard this statement on a TV show Monday night: “You are just an ordinary family who was put under a microscope. Nobody can hold up to that close of a look.” When I heard that, I thought of Mom, and said to myself: “Except my mother. She could.”   And yet, no one that I’ve known was more aware of her weaknesses and imperfections. She was always my example of humility. And the greatest blessing a boy like me could have was having a Mother like her. Her gift to me was more than bringing me into this life, nurturing, and raising me. Her gift to me was her humility and patience. She was a window to my soul, and through her, I learned to see myself: how can someone so gentle and patient have a son so selfish and impatient? The Lord knew that only my Mother could have a son like me.   I have many found memories of Mom. But some you may not have have heard occurred during the 10 days we spent together in France. She was 83 years old, an...

Dearest Annie, It is hard for me to express my feelings for you in words. First of all I want to thank you for the wonderful times we have had together. I have never felt like I do towards anyone as I do towards you. (Boy, when I started this I thought I was going to have a lot to say. But now I can't think of anything.) When the year is ended I can always look back on it and say that it was the most wonderful year of my life. Especially the last one or two months. It is going to be the hardest thing in the world to say goodbye to you, knowing maybe that I might never see you again. In fact I don't want to say goodbye at all, not goodbye forever. I have a feeling that it won't be forever. (You know how it is when you know that something is going to happen the way you want it to?) Everybody has asked me what I am going to do when you go back. Personally I don't really know, I don't want to even think about it. I know there are a lot of problems we would have to strai...

Yesterday was a sad day for Annie and me. Our Shih Tzu, Garcon, died. When we are told that all of God's creatures, except humans, fulfill the measure of their creation and have joy therein, it is true, and we experience that joy. And with Garcon we experienced that joy for 14 years and 8 months. Of course I will say he was the best dog, a good boy, a real good boy, but it was true, he was our boy. He had been struggling the last year with a curved spine and was having a difficult time walking, but not in pain. And walk he did! He was wearing me out. We would have to go for a walk every 2 hours during the day, rain, cold or sun. On rainy days, he in his yellow raincoat and me in my long black raincoat, would walk up and down the street. All the neighbors knew who we were--an old American with his old dog.  He had lost his hearing about 2 years ago, and when we would walk by barking dogs, he didn't hear, but if he saw them he would bark back. He had his favorite places to walk, ...