Think, Refrain. Steadfast, Fair.
2 ears. 1 mouth. Don’t interrupt.
Don’t hope for to change things you have no control over. Accept or move on. Not ready or prepared to move on? Than accept, but remind yourself it was your choice.
Father’s Day acronyms, courtesy of Victoria:
- Kind. Earnest. Intelligent. Thoughtful. Helpful. (K.E.I.T.H.)
- Dedicated. Admirable. Diligent. (D.A.D.)
Expect and prepare for the same. Hope for nothing different; you’ll only be disappointed if you don’t.
Nothing shows a person’s character more than what they forgive.
Relationships require constant maintenance. They are made of sand, not stone.
Victoria was crying about her upcoming Earth Science exam after doing worse than expected on a practice regents exam. I did the best I could to talk her down. I tried to convince her to do the best she could in every moment, every question. She can’t control the questions that will be asked, and she has worked as hard as possible until this point in time. Let the pieces fall where they may, she should be proud of how she controlled everything that she could. The grade isn’t the outcome. The outcome is who we learn to be when we study.
Advice to Austin in the family, titled Maybe:
It has been said that if you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others. This, of course, is misleading. People are going to define you how they choose – no matter if you move quickly or slowly – so choose to move rightly and with purposeful humility. Today. Tomorrow. Always. The most successful path in life is the one that ceaselessly strives for goodness over greatness.
I couldn’t be any more proud, and I love you.
❤️,
Dad
Be prepared. History only repeats itself, so few things in life should surprise if you have studied history and are paying attention. But you aren’t a good student of history? Your textbooks and libraries feature a selection of events viewed from above, but you’ve seen the same stories play out in your local newspapers, families, workplaces, classrooms, friend groups, etc. If you have ever done it, everyone else will to. If you have seen it before, it will undoubtedly happen again. Be prepared.
Organize many defenses against misfortunes to come by providing justice, compassion, and kindness with an open and generous hand. [Seneca, T 10]
Shit happens. Murphy’s Law. The message is the same: good and bad fortune will land with you indiscriminately. Act rightly with wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice in mind to both endure the bad and absorb the good with equanimity.
On best evers:
- Best day ever: Wedding day. Never happier.
- Day that I felt most loved/appreciated: maybe our wedding day, again? Perhaps when my grandfather introduced me as his “grandson, advisor, and friend.”
- The work that I’ve felt best about: San Diego speech
- Project that I’ve felt best about: the kids, each of high character
- The greatest place ever visited: Haleakala. Wish I could visit it with even more gratitude than I did then
- The best in a difficult situation: challenging funerals, with quietude. COVID, with decisive rationality.
- Best things acquired: memories. If I had to pack a bag with all my favorite things, I think I could leave it empty. I’d wear my wedding ring. I don’t need anything else. If I were to bring something, I would bring my most useful things: my camera and my laptop. If I had to, though, my phone would suffice. if the Internet were forever down, I’d pack a bag only with our magazines with a few select photos of our wedding.
- Greatest hits album of my life:
- Harborfest with Mark
- Moon Beach with Steph
- Hawaii with Christine
- Hiking with Bret
- Painting with Chris
- Fantasy Football with friends
- Bar Harbor with the family
- Darlene’s with the kids
- Concerts with Kevin
- San Diego with SS people
- Breweries and visits with Michael