I Am Dad 2

Now that you have heard a little about the generation that raised me, let me tell you a little more about myself.  Just recently, December 2015, I received a package in the mail from my mother.  It contained some photo albums and some hand written notes that my father had made at some point in time.  I am just seeing them for the first time. Here is what some of my dad's notes said.  They follow a very condensed version of the stages of my life.  I have typed them herein the exact way that my father wrote them - nothing added and nothing taken away, exact format: Proverbs 22:6 Train a child up in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Some of the hallmarks of our son's life (1) it took him a long time to talk I was worried  - Ruth said don't worry - he's going to be a lawyer He could say water. (could "not" say water [Ruth]. This a note that Mom added to Dad’s note) (2)  Our family is all swimmers - recreational and competitive - I wanted to teach both my boys to swim at the same time but Maynard sat on the side of the pool for one year - then he suddenly dove in and swam perfectly (3)  He had picked up a flute at the age of 4 or 5 and began to play. (4)  In his middle years of parochial school, the Nuns had expressed to us that they tested Maynard and he had scored the mark of a genius - but we were never to tell him. (now he knows) (5)  Marine Corps So my dad's notes regarding the chronology stopped there.  I joined the Marine Corps in January 1979, started Norwich University in August 1979, attended Officer Candidate School in 1980 and 1982, finished college in 1982, graduated with my class in May 1983, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant - a Leader of Marines. I started law school in 1983; in 1985 married my bride of 30 years now, Sandra M. Henry, and we have two young men ages 27 and 28.  We are trying to continue the legacy and help not only our children but the next generation of the community we have the blessing to be a part of each and every day. What I find interesting about the constant themes that run across the notes and other messages my dad has given me, is that he always has the Book of Proverbs "in my face," so to speak. I find this to be a good thing, for in the Book of Proverbs is a well-spring of wisdom and guidance for living, loving, teaching, and learning. In 1980 when I was in Officer Candidate School, (or OCS, which is also the setting for the movie “An Officer and Gentlemen"), my Sergeant Instructor asked me "Who  is your hero, Lou Gosset, Jr.?"  I said, "No, my Dad."  My dad has always been my hero, and when people have asked me, "do you want to be like your dad,"  I have always said,  "No."  Well you may be asking, if he was your hero, why don't you want to be like your dad?  Here is my answer:  If I could be half the man my dad was, that would be great, but as the recipient of all the benefits and lesson of what he passed on, I don't want to be just like  my dad; I want to be better than my dad. He would want and expect no less. Let me put it this way:  if your father had 2 million dollars and his father had had 1 million dollars and they both gave  their money and their work ethic to the next generation,  should you not want to strive to continue the legacy and do even better?  Each new day, is another opportunity to get it right - to be better than the day before. Every young boy needs a hero. Who will be your son's hero? Oh, and little girls need daddy heroes, too! Inspire -Dream-Achieve!