Give Thanks...Day 7--Adoption

 

Day 7

Adoption

I grew up always knowing I was adopted. It wasn't weird--on the contrary, it was the most normal thing in the world. Both my siblings were adopted--it's just the way things were. 

As an adoptee, my childhood was pretty much like everyone else, at least, it was for me. My parents were my parents, my siblings were my siblings. I grew up knowing I was loved and figured my birth parents made a great decision allowing someone else to raise me. I was brought into a large family, and by large, I mean large. My dad was one of twelve, my mom one of three. I was surrounded by cousins, people I love to this day.

We grew up in the west, with open skies and adventures. We hiked the Tetons most summers and sledded down our mountain most winters. Looking back, it's hard for me to imagine a better place to be raised and better people to do the raising.

Then, things changed as I've grown. I'm still so grateful for my parents and incredible family, but as I get older, thoughts of my birth parents have risen to the surface. I've wondered what they were like, questions I would ask them if given the chance. Seeing as how they would both be in the 80s now and possibly not even with us anymore, the chances I may meet them dims a little each day. It's okay if I never meet them in this life. I'll have the opportunity later (hopefully, much later).

When I look back on my life, everything hinges on that one decision, that one action that placed me with Harry and Lois Taylor. Everyone I know is a direct result of that action. Everything I've ever done is affected by it. We can speculate what my life would have been like had things turned out differently. I'd like to think I would be loved and have had a great life, but that's all academic. It didn't. We can't go back.

And I don't think I'd want to, if that were even possible. 

I am grateful for adoption, for the opportunity people have to raise children who are unable to do so otherwise. It literally means everything for me and I thank God that it happened to me.

Give Thanks...Day 6--Performing

 Back in the fall of 2000, I had a crazy idea to try out for a play, a community theater production of their annual Christmas program. I brought along my then five-year old son to also audition. That one decision, in a way, changed my life from that point on. We both made the cast and did the show. We did the same show a year later. And in the over two decades since that decision, theater has been a part of my life--not every show, not every year, but eventually, I've found my way back to the hardwood of the stage.

I know many have never had the opportunity to perform with a group of amateurs on a stage in front of a paying audience. It's not for everyone, I understand. If you haven't, you may have some pre-conceived notions of what you'll learn and go through from the experience. I know I did. I can with certainty say, you can't possibly imagine all the things you'll learn, you'll feel, you'll experience doing a community theater show.

In the past twenty years, I have made life-long friendships. I have had incredible experiences--almost spiritual, in some cases. I have had the opportunity to exercise blind faith, leave my comfort zone, and take a chance--risk. There's something about being on stage...you feel alive.

These pictures represent my community theater career quite well. I'm usually in the ensemble. Once again, that doesn't work for some, but it suits me well. In the one show, I was Pig #2. In the second show, I was a towns person. Being in the ensemble means you're also other things. In Shrek, for example, I was Pig #3, a prisoner, a town member of Duloc, and a few other things. In Beauty and the Beast, I was a town member, a cheese grater, Monsieur D'Arque, and a few other things

One thing that has been a true blessing for me is that I have had the opportunity to do numerous shows with my kids, two of the kids, a least. I did many shows with my son. For the past decade or so, my daughter and I shared the stage. Yes, it's a lot of time, but what an amazing thing to spend time with your kids.

We moved recently. There's fewer theaters here, fewer opportunities. I have no idea when I'll get the opportunity again. But, if I never participate in another show, I'll always love the time I spent on stage. 

During the last show I did, I smuggled my phone backstage and snapped the picture of Wendy and Peter Pan talking. It shows their relationship from an angle unseen by the audience. In fact, me and my fellow cast members were the only ones that experienced the show from that perspective. Doing a show is watching the world from a different perspective. That's one of the reasons I've loved doing it.

Give Thanks...Day 5--Work

I've mentioned on this blog before that there's opposition in all things. It's one of the few absolutely sure things I know. There's good, there's bad. There's up, there's down. Sad, happy. Big, small.

So, what does opposition have to do with work?

Well, it depends on how you see it.

This week I've taken up the challenge to post things for which I am grateful. Many of my friends and thousands of others have done the same. Most have listed the obvious things, family, health, pets, church, lessons learned. When I think of these things, there is one thing that--for me--allows most of us to enjoy the incredible things found in this life. 

Work.

I have been blessed with work. Since high school, except for my mission and a few months here and there, I've been employed. I've had jobs I've absolutely loved, being a stuntman and part of the Seance crew at Lagoon were a few. I've had jobs I absolutely hated, Feature Films for Families was one of them. I'm thankful that for the past almost twenty-five years I've been working for the same organization. I had a couple promotions, been passed up for many others. It took me a long time to realize, work wasn't about the promotions--it was about doing my best and finding joy in the journey.

Work can suck, and it usually does...even the best jobs have sucky times. But I feel humans must work. As a species, if we don't work, we die. Although it's not as pronounced now for many, it's still true. I have many friends who have done well in their careers. They post pictures on social media (or, they used to before this year...) of amazing places they've visited, amazing memories they've created with their families and loved ones. A major reason for this is because they work hard.

When I thought of seven things to write about this week, work wasn't one of them. But, when the idea hit me, it made more and more sense. Yes, I am grateful for work, because there is opposition in all things, work that sometimes sucks can result in good times.

Give Thanks...Day 4--Pets

Last week, I heard a talk given by the leader of our church. He challenged us to post only uplifting things, things for which we are thankful, and to use the hashtag, GiveThanks in our posts. The challenge is to last seven days. Today, is Day 4.

I chose pets.

I've not always been a pet guy. As little kids we had first a cat, Lucy (that ran away to the cat lady's house down the street...), then Waldo--a big black lab that was too much dog for my mom and three little kids.

We then got Tasha, a shih tzu/sneaky neighbor dog mix, and that was a wonderful pet for our family. Tasha lived for seventeen years. She survived my teenage years, my college years, and the first couple of years of my marriage. We all loved Tasha and it was bittersweet when we had to put her down. She was such a tough little dog, she could no longer walk when we had to make that decision.

My wife is a cat person, so we got cats. I have come to not only appreciate cats, but enjoyed them being around...except when they're kittens and the scratch up your arms and legs to the point where a person could play tic-tac-toe on the scratches if one wished.

The thing about pets is they become totally dependent upon their owners. Maybe that's why we love them so much (and why, at times, they can drive us crazy...). The world of a pet is defined by us humans. We--usually--dictate where they live, how much space they get, what they eat, and so forth. Maybe that's why they love us so much (and why, at times, we can drive them crazy...).

During the past couple of years, we had to put down a cat we rescued from the street. Gracie was a gift, a wonderful pet and companion. Then, our dog Patch was next. She was the dog that grew up with our kids. Absolutely gut-wrenching. The pain is in direct relation to what they mean to us.

We now have two cats and a dog. Tonight, my son's dog curled up at my daughter's feet. How special is that? It's just one reason why I'm thankful for pets.

Give Thanks...Day 3--Sundays

 I am thankful for Sundays.

A day of rest.

Today is a great example. I spent the day at home with my family. Normally, I would attend church, but due to circumstances beyond our control, that's a little difficult right now. Thankfully, technology allows us to do the next best thing--attend virtually.

I remember my mother telling me something about my father. He designed, and was in the process of building, our house when he got sick and passed away. She told me, when it came time for us to help build our own house, that they never worked on the house on Sundays.

Since he started the house in 1970 and passed away in 1974, he could have worked an extra two-hundred days on the house...give or take. That's more than half a year. I'm confident in saying that with those days, the house would have been finished by they time he died, leaving his wife and three children under the age of 11 a home that would not need to be worked on later. He chose not to do that.

So did we.

In addition to not working on the house, I tried as best I could not to do any homework for both my degrees on Sundays. Admittedly, I didn't like doing homework any of the other days, either, but making that personal rule allowed me an excuse. 

The earth rotates one turn seven times in a week. To it, Sunday is just another rotation. It's us who give the day its meaning. I'm grateful for Sundays, a day unlike all the others...a day of rest.

Give Thanks...Day 2--Where I Live

 I grew up in an amazing time. My parent's generation lived during the Great Depression. I have cousins that were born before the WWI. I remember hearing my mother tell us of the time when she remembered  receiving electricity and running water in their Driggs, Idaho home.

I imagine, my kids and grandkids will talk about how their father/grandfather grew up during a time where there was no internet. I don't think growing up without running water in the house and being without the internet are the same thing, but maybe to some they are.

The point is, my parents were born in the United States of America. My kids and I were born here, too. I'm dedicating this week to things for which I am thankful. When it comes to places where one would like to be born, I feel I hit the jackpot. I know it's not a popular opinion for some, and I can respect that opinion. USA is by no means perfect, but to quote something I heard the other day, America may not be perfect, but the goal of the country is to become a more perfect union. 

In my fifty-four years, eleven months, and twenty-two days, I've been fed, clothed, sheltered. I've never felt unsafe. I've never felt unloved. Much of that is due to loving parents/friends who took upon themselves the responsibility to take care of those they loved. These facts astound me. Many people around the globe can say the same thing--we're not unique in this. I'm grateful to live in a land that gives people the opportunity to succeed, to thrive, to pursue their dreams. 

America is, and has always been, an experiment. It exists because the people living within its borders believe in this experiment. If they give up that dream, abandon its principles, the nation ceases to be. We are at a crossroads, a country experiencing an identity crisis. I am no fortune teller. I cannot predict how things will turn out. I do, however, have faith in the people of this country. They are, for the most part, good and wish to do good for themselves and others. This is my hope. This is my prayer. It is why I give thanks for the land in which I live, the land that I love.

#GiveThanks...Day 1--Family

It's amazing how two little, single-syllable words can make such a big difference.

Give Thanks

This morning the leader of my church delivered a message. It was sweet. It was succinct. It was needed. For the next seven days President Nelson challenged us to post only uplifting messages on social media and to use the hashtag GiveThanks with our posts. He suggested that at the end of those seven days, we would feel different (you can watch his message by clicking: HERE...).

I'm betting he's right.

Since I write a daily post, I'm going to consider--then write about--things of which I am thankful. I'm not placing them in any order of importance, only to have them included. To be honest, I could write everyday about things for which I am thankful--I could write every minute for the rest of my life and never run out of things to include.

Fifteen years ago, I wrote up a family Christmas letter and I included the above photo of the kids and our dog, Patch. It was taken in the winter (hence, the Christmas lights up on our porch...). I can't believe it's been that long. Several years later, we took a picture from the same vantage point. So much had changed between the two pictures, and so much has changed between then and now. The adorable dog is no longer with us, nor is that any longer our house. My eldest is married and has begun an adventure of his own, and, well...we're all older.

I can't imagine my life without these four. They made/make me a father, a provider, a teller of "dad jokes." The things the have taught me, the memories, the wisdom, the love, the trials and the triumphs...all part of the deal, a deal I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world.

Tonight, I give thanks for them. I pray I may be worthy of their love and respect. God is great to give me such an opportunity.