Today

Today . . .
we should be celebrating 53 years of your life,
eating ice cream cake and blowing out your candles . . .

Today . . .
you should be the first person I talk to;
I should be be able to wrap my arms around you and settle into the joy that you bring . . .

Today. June 16th. Today is your birthday.

Today I think back on birthday's past.  Celebrations in the backyard by the pool, at our timeshare at the beach, even our annual birthday lunches at the Kanki restaurant.  So many happy memories to choose from.  But the fondest memory I keep coming back to was during our family vacation in 2001 at Daytona Beach.  I remember the gift I gave to you.  It was a brown leather-bound scrapbook filled with my favorite photos of you and I together.  I remember slaving away at each photo meticulously editing them all to ensure that they were "just right".  Each in its neutral shades of sepia matching the overall rustic yet classic profile of this beloved gift.  I remember the butterflies I felt during the moments leading up to presenting you with this gift.  I remember thinking that it wasn't anything fancy, certainly nothing of any monetary value . . . yet this gift had more value (to me) than anything I could have every bought you from a store.  This gift was a labor of love.  One that I was proud of.  One that I hoped you would love as much as me.  And you did . . . you really did.

I remember seeing it months later laying beside your bed on the floor. I have no idea what it was doing there but I like to believe it was there because you looked at it often and wanted to keep it close by.  Maybe it helped you feel close to me since I was away at college at the time.  Maybe it gave you peace each night before you fell asleep because it reassured you that were in fact a great father to your children and were loved dearly for it.

As much as I wish you were here to celebrate your birthday together again, I know that you are celebrating in an entirely new way in heaven today.  And if you can't be with your girls here on this earth, you can at least be in the company of angels up there. 

So . . .

Today . . .
you are deeply missed;
but are in our fondest memories . . .

Today . . .
you are smiling your biggest smile;
you are youthful and sprightly and happy once again . . .

Today . . .
instead of feeling the effects of earthly aging,
you are made whole in the presence of our Creator . . .

Today is your birthday.  Happy Birthday to you, dad.

Overdue Post

Okay, so this post is about a month overdue, but it's still worth writing about :)  As many of you know, I am lucky enough to work for one of the nation's leading employers - Bank of America.  I love EV-ER-Y-TH-ING about my job!  From the mission statement to the Associates, it's a super great place to work!  Two of the biggest areas of focus across the Bank are associate satisfaction and community involvement.  As a result, it's not uncommon at all for teams to spend an afternoon playing laser tag or white water rafting to emphasize the importance of teamwork in our everyday environments.  Not to mention volunteering our time with Habitat for Humanity to help build houses for those less fortunate or serve food at the Men's Shelter of Charlotte.  Not only do we get the advantage of an occasional day free from the office environment to venture out and partake in these activities, but the Bank will also allow you to volunteer at an outside organization for up to 3 hours a week and get paid for it!  Now do you see why I love my job???  It's truly fantastic!

My friend, Jennifer, is the site lead for our Charlotte team.  She and I co-facilitated an Associate Engagement event back in early May.  We took the team to Lake Norman for a sunset dinner cruise!  A large buffet of amazing food, a customized soundtrack for the evening, and a laid-back environment were just a few of the main ingredients that contributed to a very successful event!  Here are a few pics of us on the boat:

The evening was so well-orchestrated (something we worked very hard on!).  The boat set sail at 7pm.  Dinner was served on the lower level from 7-8pm.  Then we took the par-tay upstairs and danced the next 2 hours away.  What a fun night it was!  It's so nice to step outside of the office environment and get to know people on a more personal (and relaxed) level.  I certainly learned a lot about my co-workers that night!

The very next day we volunteered at the Mens Shelter of Charlotte.  We got there around 9am, took a brief tour of the facility, prepared food, and served lunch to approximately 200 guys.  The staff at the Men's Shelter are so delightful and it was a great opportunity to reach out and do something constructive in the community.  Here's a picture of me with my "gem" of a boss, Jim, getting ready to serve it up!

Way to go, Team Bank of America!