MY DAUGHTER’S WEDDING – IT WAS A DAY TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR:
I have two lifetime goals, both of which I have stressed with my children and all my loved ones:
1) Think of others more than yourself
2) Make this world a better place than it would have been without you
I have leaned on these two quotes to provide reassurance to my life goals:
“Maturity begins to grow when you sense your concern for others- outweighing your concern for yourself.”- Unknown
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”- Mark Twain
I pray that my life leads me to follow my goals each and every night. My wife and I are proud to say that both of my children, along with our niece and nephews understand the type of values needed to succeed in life. I know that those in my family who have gone on before us would be very proud of.
Brian Barton said it best, “If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm.” My daughter definitely exemplifies that to a tee. Her eyes, fair skin and light hair come from me while her special personality is sourced from her mother. My daughter is direct, opinionated, very competitive and a wonderful mother. She had the courage to schedule her wedding the same week as her college exams and birthday. She is tall, beautiful and an unbelievable athlete. Most importantly, she has truly adopted my life goals into her own as she cares about others before herself and she knows what she does today will leave a great impact for others for years to come.
And while she likes the Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers and is a proud VT Hokie at heart- she married someone a little different. His family hails from the North, he is a fan of the Boston Red Sox, the Washington Redskins and, yes, the Boston Celtics! For me to like this guy, her now husband --- he must be PRETTY GOOD ---- and he is.
Her husband was named for our President of the United States from July 10th, 1781 to November 5th, 1781. Thomas McKean was our President during the climax of the Revolutionary War. He stepped down after hearing that Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. Apparently my son-in-law was a little like President McKean. While he was one of our lesser known founding fathers and eventual signer of the Declaration of Independence, he had mysterious and unique persona.
My son-in-law is very quiet, but only in respect to speaking. He walks his talk. He works hard and is competitive. When he does talk, he speaks from his heart. And, as an Irishman, he was smart enough to follow the beliefs of Thomas Fuller, a British Clergyman, who said, “If you would have a good wife, marry one who has been a good daughter.”
· And though he was not one of “our own” until just recently, I believe that he follows my life goals and will be able to join my daughter and create another wonderful generation of believers in something that I hold so near and dear.
This blog was written in honor of those in my family that helped shaped the way I lead my life. You will read about them in subsequent blogs.
