I wrote these words to my grandmother right before she passed away. Though it has been many years, I still miss her. She was amazing. She is missed so much.

Dear Grandma,

I have stared at the blank piece of paper for sometime now. There many things I want to say, but I want to make sure that I say them right. It is hard to put into words all the feelings that you feel for someone that you love so much. But, I will give it my best shot.

First, it has been an amazing honor to have you as my grandma. I have so many memories of you that I will cherish all my life. I have not been able to visit as much as I would’ve liked, but I have always felt your love and how proud you are of me. It has given me great joy to make you proud over the years. I loved every time I had the chance to sing for you. It makes me smile because I know that it made you happy. I wish I would have been able to do it much more, but I know you enjoyed the times I did.

Next, thank you for the way that you’ve lived your life. I know that all our lives are connected. The choices that we make affects people we may not even know yet. You have made choices over the years that made my life possible. You are an amazing wife and awesome mother. You chose year after year to take care of your family and to provide for them. You made sacrifices to help your children grow and I’m grateful for that. I feel I have the best mother in the world and that is in large part to the way that you cared for her. The love that she’s given me over the years she learned from you. I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am for your life.

I don’t know if I ever told you, but one of my favorite things about you are your hugs. Grandma hugs are some of the best the world. It never mattered how long had it been since we’ve seen each other, it always felt like coming home when you gave me a hug. I will miss them until the day I see you again. I expect a really big one then.

I know I am very fortunate to have had 35 years with my Grandma. Not long ago I looked at the pictures of you and mom giving me a bath just after I was born. You have always been a beautiful lady. It showed in those pictures as you were smiling from ear to ear at me. I remember the summers of Falls Creek and getting to be there before I was old enough because my grandma was the cook. The best cook I might add. Those are still some of my favorite summertime childhood memories. I loved every time I was at your house for Christmas or birthday and you would give me clothes. I would always try them on and you finally told me I didn’t have to try them on. It was just my way of letting you know how much I appreciated what you had given me. Plus, i loved getting new clothes. I also remember being at Falls Creek doing mission work and having to borrow large sum of money from you to make it through the summer. It made me feel so good to know you trusted me and knew that I would pay you back. I felt loved all my life. Thank you grandma.

It has also been a great joy to have been able to be married and have a son while you have been here to watch. Thank you for the way that you have Marixa feel so loved and so welcome. She considerers you her Grandma. I appreciate it so much. It has been such a joy to watch Trey and his GG. That boy loves you. It feels so good to know that he got to know you.

I will always carry your love in my heart forever. I promise, I will continue to make you proud. When I sing, I will sing for you. I love you Grandma and I always will.

David

Hang out with me for long enough and there are a few things you will pick up on: I love my wife and son like crazy, I enjoying cooking very much, I talk to myself in funny voices (I can do more than 30), and…did I mention I am crazy about my wife? There are other things that make me me, but loving my wife is the one that really defines me.

I was listening to the radio today and a song came on that I haven’t heard in a while. The chorus said something like this: ‘beautiful girls all over the world I could be chasing, but my time I’d be wasting cause they got nothing on you.’ I had to sit back and smile. I feel that way about Marixa. She is the one for me. There is no other.

Strangely enough, that B.o.B./Bruno Mars song reminded me of a verse from Proverbs 31:29 that I read not too long ago: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” (NLT). Loosely translated: they got nothing on you.

I can think of many reasons why I feel like Marixa has surpassed all the others. She is a beautiful woman. She is a wonderful mother. She is the best friend I have ever known. She is brilliant. She is so very creative. She is compassionate. She has the most amazing laugh. All of these reasons are good ones, but they are not the reason I can say with confidence that she has surpassed all the other women in the world in my eyes. What is my reason? She is my wife.

There is no one in this world that is like her for many reasons, but this is the one that I want to address. I fell in love with Marixa. I asked her to marry me. In front of our God and our family and friends I pledged to love her and cherish her above all others for all of my life. I chose her. I choose her still. She surpasses all the other women in this world because she is my wife. She is the one I made a covenant to love and cherish.

There will never be another. There is no need. I already made my choice. They have nothing on her.

Does this ring true in your marriage? It is my prayer that you can say the same thing about the woman (or man) who wears your ring.

I have something to admit. There are times that I have a hard time asking for help. There is a prideful spot in me that believes I should be able to do whatever I undertake without help. Like it is admitting weakness or making less of myself to ask someone else to lend me a hand. News flash! It isn’t. There are things I can learn on my own and then there are times you have to find someone who really knows.

For instance, I need help buying  insurance. Despite what some of the companies on TV will tell you, it is a good thing to have an old fashioned insurance agent help you determine what kind of coverage you need for you home and auto. You need someone who is well versed in the subject to help you protect yourself should something unfortunate happen.

An example: if I go get insurance from one of the compaines that tempts me to pick my own coverage on the internet (without dealing with an agent) and I only get the state minimum coverage (because according to the commercial that is all I need), I put myself at great risk for Murphy’s Law to show up and kick me in the butt. State minimum coverage in Texas for auto insurance is 30/60/25.

That means you have 25 thousand dollars max for physical damage that you do to someone else’s vehicle, along with 30 thousand dollars medical coverage (max) for each injured person, with 60 thousand dollar max for all medical claims. If I only have the minimum coverage and I cause a wreck that totals a brand new 18 wheeler (some are in excess of 140 thousand new for just the truck…it is another 50+ thousand for the trailer) I am on the hook legally for 190 thousand dollars in physical damages. My insurance policy will pay out my coverage and the people I wrecked can sue me for the rest. Not a good place to be in.

I have seen the study material that many agents use to get their licenses. There is a bunch of information. The good agents know it all very well. They study it. They live it. I think it better to ask for help in this situation.

This is only one example I could mention. There are a ton of other things in this life that I could try to go alone, but would be so much better off if I just asked for help in the first place. There is no shame in admitting that you don’t know how to do something. The shame comes when you realize that you need help and are too chicken or bullheaded to ask for it.

There is two verses from the book of Proverbs that sum up what I am trying to say:

The way of a fool seems right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15 (I would say he not only listens to advice, but seeks it out.)

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

The older I get the more I realize I don’t have everything figured out. (Surprise, surprise.) There are things I know how to do well and rarely ask for help on. There are even more that I know I don’t know how to do and will gladly find someone who does.

Have you ever sat through a presentation and thought, “what are they talking about?” It’s not that you don’t know the topic…it is the presenter hasn’t landed on what they are trying to say. Have you ever been there? Is it just me?

I have done a fair amount of speech coaching over the years. With everyone I have coached my question stays the same…what do you want me to know? When the speech or presentation is done what information do you want me to walk away with?

I would like to share with you a few ways to accomplish this.

1. Don’t make your topic too broad. Many people go into a presentation and try to tell you everything they know on the topic. When you do this there is no central focus to the presentation and the audience gets over saturated.

2. Tell the audience what you want them to know. If you are giving a speech on the best way to make a pie, tell the audience, “In this presentation you will learn the best way to make a pie. It is as easy as following these simple steps.” Then, lead them through the simple steps. Only go as deep in your explanation as your audience needs you to go to achieve your stated outcome of teaching the group the best way to make a pie.

3. Speak at the level of your audience. This should be an easy one, but I have been to many presentations where the presenter went too deep too quick. I have been to others where I expected depth, but never received any. Size up your audience and deliver the message they need.

Keep these in mind for your next presentation. It will help you stay on track and help the audience know exactly what to expect.

Time passes so fast. It seems like only yesterday I was in high school…or going to college…or meeting Marixa for the first time…or getting married…you get the picture. The years have flown by. It is most noticeable with my boy.

After going through cancer when I was 26, we were uncertain if we would be able to have children. So, when we found out Marixa was pregnant we were over the moon. We were excited and convinced that we would be having a little girl. I remember the Christmas of 2007 very well. Marixa got me a onesie that said “Daddy’s Little Girl”. When the sonogram told us we were wrong, we didn’t know what to think. It did t take long to figure out that this boy was exactly what we needed. Still is!

Tonight I ran across some sound recordings of him when he was a little guy. I played one for him and Marixa. He was a couple of years old in the recording. He was reciting his alphabet. We all got a good chuckle, and a stab of memories. I remember that little guy so well. I remember when I would get home and he would run and jump up in my arms. He was such a sweet boy. He still is today. He is just a whole lot taller.

It is amazing how much of his personality was locked in back then. It was glimpses of who he is becoming today. He was just as full of life and awesome then as he is now. I am so incredibly thankful for this boy.

What point am I trying to make with all of this? I am proud of my son. I hope you are proud of yours too. Enjoy every minute that you get. They pass so fast.