Christmas Songs

With Christmas just around the corner, the local radio stations have begun playing Christmas music, some even making it their 24-hour playlist during the season. I like Christmas music.

Because I've had so many ask (OK, that's a lie. I haven't had anybody ask) I've decided to provide you, the happy reader, with some guidance, and list what I believe to be the best renditions of popular Christmas songs. As there exist multiple renditions of most Christmas songs out there, I often hear inferior renditions of my favorites, and so I thought I'd make a list of what I believe are the best renditions of the most popular songs. It's just my opinion, of course, and I encourage you to submit your own ideas or engage in happy discourse as you disagree with my recommendations, but remember... I'm usually right.

I'll list the artist, and an album it can be found on, if I can.

So, here goes....

• I'll Be Home for Christmas - Bryan White / Dreaming of Christmas (Many great renditions, but this one is really smooth.)
• O Holy Night - David Phelps, Gaither Vocal Band (I don't have an album, but here's the YouTube link. I defy you to listen to it and not be amazed and moved.)
• I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Mellencamp / A Very Special Christmas (Maybe the most fun Christmas song I know. It's got a great vibe to it.)
• Jingle Bell Rock - Randy Travis / A Very Special Christmas 2 (All deference to the original artist, local guy Bobby Helms. My Dad played music with him. But this one has the best groove. Wait for the restart at the end that totally kicks up the fun a notch.)
• Silent Night/Let It Snow - Boyz II Men / Christmas Interpretations (Turn the bass on your stereo up. When the full group kicks on on Silent Night, it' breathtaking and it'll rattle your windows. Let It Snow has a nice dance music feel to it.)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry (Can't get better than the original.)
• The Christsmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting...) - Luther Vandross / A Very Special Christmas 2 (Props to the Nat King Cole original. A very smooth listen, indeed, but it's hard to beat Luther on just about anything. This one's different from every other version out there and yet somehow doesn't ruin it.)
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town - A tie between Bruce Springsteen and the Pointer Sisters. (Both versions are fun and offer their own bits that make you chuckle. The Santa laugh at the end of the Springsteen version, accompanied by The Boss' own laughter may give this one a slight edge. There's also a very interesting duet rendition by Cyndi Lauper and Frank Sinatra that one would think would be awful, but is really pretty good. Additionally, there's a very good Neil Diamond version of this song that my wife hates. Go figure.)
• Sleigh Ride - Debbie Gibson / A Very Special Christmas 2 (Just more fun than all the others I've heard. Plus I saw Debbie live in concert in 1989, so there's that.)
• Do You Hear What I Hear - Whitney Houston / A Very Special Christmas (Whitney... 'Nuff said. But I have to give props to my friend, Becca Ford. She hit a home run with it that would make even Whitney proud. If she wasn't dead. Whitney, that is, not Becca.)
• Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger / A Very Special Christmas (The Silver Bullet Band doesn't over do it)
• My Favorite Things - Kenny Rogers / Christmas Wishes from Kenny Rogers (Sorry to all you Julie Andrews fans. This really isn't a Christmas song, but has come to be associated with the Holiday season over the years. Kenny's version is smooth, snappy and enhances the original by not ruining its integrity.)
• Grown Up Christmas List - Natalie Cole / Christmas Classics (Full of emotion. Seems more heartfelt than the others I've heard.)
• Silver Bells - Bing Crosby (Hard to beat the Bingle!)
• White Christmas - Bryan White / Dreaming of Christmas (This one beats the Bingle. Nice feel.)
• The First Noel - Trans-Siberian Orchestra / Christmas Eve and Other Stories (First of all, if you haven't seen TSO live, YOU MUST GO! If you like live music, this is the best. GREAT Christmas show. If you know the lyrics to the song, then this instrumental is outstanding. If you don't know the lyrics, its still great!)
• Frosty the Snowman - Cindy Brady / A Very Brady Christmas (I know her real name is Susan Olsen, but who cares. Unless you're a Brady fan, this album is pretty awful, and really, it's pretty awful anyway, but Cindy singing this song in her precious lisp is absolutely perfect for the song.)
• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee (The original is just so good. But Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector do some great renditions you can find on YouTube from the David Letterman Show.)
• Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby (The Bingle again, although Jimmy Buffet does a really good remake. If you're wondering what this song is, recall the scene from Christmas Vacation where Clark is imagining his new pool.)
• 12 Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser (Props to IU fans. Hands down the best. Look it up on YouTube. You will laugh and be amazed at the talent.)
• Baby It's Cold Outside - Vanessa Williams (Playful, although Dean Martin's take is really good. By contrast, Dean Martin's Rudolph is horrible.)
• Jingle Bells - Any version that doesn't have Frank Sinatra's name on it. But can you beat the Barking Dogs version? I doubt it.
• Mary Did You Know - Wynonna Judd and Kenny Rogers (Once again, this is just outstanding for being so unconventional, but there is a Gaither Vocal Band versions that'll shake you up.)
• Blue Christmas - Porky Pig (This really should be Elvis, of course, but this amateur take of Porky Pig singing the song is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever heard. The kazoo solo and the guy laughing in the background is side-splitting. Look it up on YouTube.)

I know there's some I've missed, but you can find your own. However, there are a few other great Christmas songs that don't get remade because the original either belongs to the artist, or its just too good to be remade. But they are must-hears at Christmastime. Here's a few...

• Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy
• Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
• You Make It Feel Like Christmas - Neil Diamond
• Little Saint Nick - Beach Boys
• Fat Like Santa - Dale Jarvis (You've never heard of it. It's from the Bob & Tom album, It's a Wonderful Laugh. Find it on the Bob & Tom website. Outstanding and funny.)
• This is Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
• Anything by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
• You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
• The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
• Merry Christmas, Baby - Bruce Springsteen
• Silver and Gold - Burl Ives (If I don't include this song, I get left on the Island of Misfits.)

As for Christmas albums, there was a series put out several years ago called A Very Special Christmas. There's four or five volumes but the first two are OUTSTANDING. Not a bad song on them, with great renditions by great artists, many of whom I've listed here. By contrast, the subsequent volumes are equally as bad as the first two are good. Not sure what happened. But you can find them usually at Wal-Mart.

However, my favorite all-time Christmas album is... wait for it.... Christmas Wishes from Kenny Rogers. This is a fabulous album with a perfect mix of originals and standards. The remakes are very good, not overdone and not ruining the integrity of the originals. Kenny doesn't try to stamp any of them. Just delivers nice, easy performances. His O Holy Night is very good, and the originals Kids and Kentucky Homemade Christmas are not cheesy at all as one might think. I'm a casual Kenny fan, but I promise you'll regret any preconceived notions you have about this. It's that good. Here's the obligatory Gospel cut from the album. You'll hear what I mean.

Thanks for reading. Happy listening and Merry Christmas.

Lindsey Stone

Just saw a news piece this morning about Lindsey Stone. I'd never heard of her before, but I know who she is now.

For those of you who don't, she is a young lady who recently had a photograph taken of her flipping off and shouting at a "Silence & Respect" sign near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. Look up "Lindsey Stone" on Google. You'll find it.

Her friend took the picture, and then, being the brilliant scholars they apparently are, decided to post the pic on Facebook. As such, it has "gone viral," as they say, and created quite the little stir. I saw it on one of the networks. A new Facebook page -- Fire Lindsey Stone -- has been set up, and currently has over 14,000 "Likes."

This is what Miss Stone posted on her page after the firestorm took off... "Whoa whoa whoa... wait. This is just us. being the douchebags that we are. challenging authority in general. Much like the pic posted the night before. of me smoking right next to a no smoking sign. OBVIOUSLY we mean NO disrespect to the people that serve our have served our country."

Obviously.

You'll see it and you'll have your own opinion. I have mine.

Lindsey Stone may be a fine person, I have no idea. She smokes, apparently, knows little of punctuation and capitalization, considers herself and her friends "douchebags," and enjoys challenging authority. She also seems to think that noone else should be bothered by all that.

I can tell you this, though. She's dumb as a brick.

It's one thing to take the picture. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknowns. Anyone who has will know what I mean when I say they don't play around there. I once watched a guard verbally berate a small child who was not standing after the onlookers had been told everyone should remain so. I mean, BERATE. An outburst, I suspect, that was geared more for the parents of the child in not making sure the child stood, but nevertheless reduced the child to tears. They DO NOT play at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Moreover, the idea that it would be at all funny to "challenge the authority" by so disrespecting our military at such a sacred and honored place. I mean, this isn't some statue in some podunk town, this is Arlington, for crying out loud. How anyone could be that callous is beyond me.

Actually posting the picture on Facebook takes her ignorance to a whole new level. But where her stupidity really shines is in her surprise that anyone was bothered by it. Read her initial response again. She's actually taken aback that anyone would be offended by this.

For that, she wins the stupidity gold medal.

I've crossed a few lines in my time. I've done some stupid things. Some of those things were funny. Some still are. But I've also done some things I've later regretted doing. I don't think I've ever done anything that was intended to hurt or offend someone, but I've done some things that in hindsight either hurt others nevertheless, or would so if they ever found out. I'm not proud of that.

But there comes a time when we all must take responsibility for what we do. The dumb things I've done in my life I've done willingly. And sometimes I've paid a heavy price for those decisions. Other times, I've suffered for decisions that weren't wrong. Maybe just controversial or unpopular.

Lindsey Stone has every right to flip off that sign and show that disrespect. In fact, those soldiers died so she can have that right. Freedom of speech and opinion and demonstration are vital to our nation, and public discourse and disagreement is what many times keeps this country moving forward. If Miss Stone and her friends want to traipse around being "douchebags" and "challenging authority," they have every right to do so.

But what she can't do is think everyone else is being unfair for being outraged and offended by it. If one feels one has the right to "challenge authority," one has to acknowledge that same set of rights exist for everyone else. Not just to "challenge" authority, but to "abide" by it, if one so chooses. Other's right to disagree. And one's right to opine about just how stupid someone is being. And to a private company's right to fire someone for being a "douchebag" and "challenging authority." Especially if that "douchebag" is responsible for the lives of senior citizens.

Lindsey Stone isn't wrong for being stupid. She's wrong for not expecting others to call her out on it, or be offended by it, or be disgusted by her lack of respect for others. I think she deserves to be fired from her job, because there are some lines I believe you simply should not cross. She may not be wrong, but she has to acknowledge that every choice we make comes with consequences, good or bad. If you are willing to "challenge authority" then you have to be ready to accept that authority might bite back.

And here's a computer lesson for you all. NOTHING is private on social media. NOTHING! It's why we see loads of pictures of that night you drank till you passed out, or your son's stupidity, or your daughter's bikini pics, every day on the internet. All from accounts you thought were private. I'm sure Lindsey Stone thought only her Facebook "friends" would see her pictures. I saw it on the national news.

If you don't want other people seeing you being a "douchebag," the easiest way to do that is to not be a douchebag. If, however, you insist on being so, don't let your "douchebag" friends take pictures. If in that frivolity, the pictures do get taken, then for Pete's Sake, STOP POSTING THEM ON THE INTERNET!

If you do, then be prepared for how others may react.

Ronald Reagan

In the issue of Bipartisanship, there is a name Republicans and Democrats alike trot out every election: Ronald Reagan.

Each party tries to paint themselves with the Reagan brush. Every Republican tries to convince conservatives that they are like him, with Reagan's values and leadership abilities. Every Democrat praises Reagan's ability to "get things done" and claims to admire his willingness to compromise.

They're all mostly wrong.

Reagan was the last President who was elected in a landslide. (All the talk of a landslide in this last election is foolish. Nobody who wins the popular vote by barely 1 percentage point wins in a landslide.) Landslides are good for this country. At least they were at one time. A landslide shows that the winner is doing a good job, and that the electorate believes in the job he's doing. It lends a certain amount of legitimacy to the winner. Something we haven't seen in a long time.

Reagan did that, in 1984. And there was a reason for it, but not the one that you hear about on most news outlets today. What you hear from most people today, and even from politicians who try to invoke Reagan's name as a measure of their own abilities (usually inaccurately, I might add) is that Reagan was the best at "working with the other side." He did no such thing. That's the myth that most talking heads want you to believe today.

This much is true: Reagan famously brought the country together in a way that hadn't been seen for decades previously, and certainly hasn't been seen since. He not only reinvigorated the economy, it could be argued he reinvented it. He drastically reduced the unemployment lines. He strengthened our country, both economically and militarily -- so much so that the Communists eventually just gave up.

But he didn't do it by "working with the other side." He did it by convincing the other side they were wrong, and that his own ideas were better. And that was no small task.

There's no question that he made compromises at times when he thought it prudent to do so, but what he did primarily was make the other side believe that their ideas weren't as good as his own, and they'd all be better off giving Reagan's policies a chance. He was usually right.

And he did it in two distinct ways. First, he truly loved America, and he made people feel good about being Americans. Unlike our current administration, Reagan championed America at every turn and made people proud to be from United States. He didn't blame all the world's problems on us. He showed no fear in speeches all over the world proclaiming that America was not only the greatest country in the world, but the model by which everyone else should fashion there's. Wouldn't you like to hear a little of that today?

Secondly, he eliminated class warfare. Now I know there are many who disagree with that sentiment, primarily because today's media likes to portray the 80's as a time of the "Have's" vs. the "Have-Not's." But that simply isn't the case.

See, there are truly people in this country who need help. There really are people who are down on their luck, and need a helping hand getting back on their feet. They're not freeloaders, or slackers, and they're not trying to take advantage of the system or get a free handout. Through no fault of their own, save a few bad breaks and honest mistakes, they just need a little help from someone else.

Reagan understood this. And he had an honest compassion to help those people, not because he wanted to be their savior, but rather because he just wanted to help those who needed help. But he understood you couldn't give handouts without a little personal responsibility in return.

But he also believed in the American dream. That if you worked hard and became successful, you should be rewarded for it, not penalized. You never heard Reagan say something stupid like, "the rich should pay a little more than the rest of us." Because he understood they already were. And he understood that if you reward people for success, they will try harder to be successful.

Additionally, he knew that if you didn't punish people for being successful, they would gladly want to help others who are less fortunate. People don't run from taxation. They run from penalizing taxation. Most people aren't opposed to doing their fare share, and they're certainly not opposed to helping a neighbor, as long as its not a punishment for hard work, and the neighbor is willing to pitch in and help himself.

Reagan understood all this. He understood that a true democracy really can champion capitalism while at the same time helping those who need it. Reagan is known for his tax cuts and his "trickle-down" economic theory, but he also signed 11 bills into law that raised taxes during his terms. The bottom line is that, all combined, the economy rebounded, jobs were created, inflation reduced and the Gross National Product increased every year during is Presidency.

At the same time, he cut federal spending to several social programs, including Medicaid and food stamps, and increased military spending. The "less government" philosophy is true to the original federalist idea that the states should have more power and the federal government should focus on national security. These Reagan cuts did indeed put the burden of funding of these social programs more on the states. In turn, at the federal level, his policies created jobs. Rather than give them welfare, Reagan believed you should give them a job. "Teach a man to fish..." as it were.

Social programs, Reagan believed -- as did Mitt Romney, I might add, -- should be the job of the states. To be sure, some states did a better job of it than others, but one thing is certain: whether we liked it or not, these policies worked. During Reagan's two terms, less people received government assistance than at any time since.

Today's politicians -- and media, for that matter -- want us to believe it was because Reagan was a master of bipartisanship. That simply is not true. Most officials from that era will tell you that Reagan rarely, if ever, compromised his ideals and beliefs. A read of his own diaries bear that out. He is not known as the "Great Compromiser." He's known as the "Great Communicator."

That's because he was perhaps the best at explaining his ideas, communicating his values and establishing his standards. And then a master at convincing others that those ideas were best. Democrats and Republicans alike had a very difficult time refuting Reagan's ideas, especially as each time one was implemented, good things came of it.

No, Reagan was no master at Bipartisanship. I don't think he even liked the idea. He was a master at convincing others that his way was better.

And he was mostly right.

Bipartisanship

The American people got what they asked for last night.

Well, I should say, just barely over half of the American people got what they asked for. Because, let's be honest, they knew exactly what they were getting with Barack Obama for the next four years, because its what they've been getting the last four years. It's absolutely no secret. Now they get it over the next four years on steroids.

Obama was elected last night by a smaller margin than he was in 2008. In other words, the candidate who four years ago promised Hope and Change and vowed to finally bring the country together was barely re-elected by an even more divided electorate. The people who voted for him four years ago rewarded him for failing to do what he promised in 2008. Weird.

For some reason, though he's done nothing of the sort in his first term, exit polls showed that most Obama voters thought he was the better candidate when it came to working together with the other side. This despite the fact that he is roundly considered to be the most partisan president in decades.

But while I believe Obama's policies are damaging, the bigger problem is this: There really is no such thing as bipartisanship (Heretofore known as BP, 'cause its easier to spell.) It's a myth. It doesn't exist. It really never has, but more on that later.

Suffice it to say, many from both sides of the aisle complain that the other side won't work together. Most voters gripe about how the two sides can't get along. But one could ask the question: When have they ever gotten along? And even a bigger question: Is it even possible to do so?

I suggest it is not. How can two sides, who have fundamental differences in philosophy and theology, come to agreement. I mean, isn't that the reason we each choose a side to begin with? Because we align ourselves with a certain viewpoint -- a platform, if you will -- that is based in a certain set of fundamental beliefs that is usually diametrically opposed to the other side.

Ask yourself this: How are two individuals who have opposing views on, say, abortion, supposed to work together? What's the compromise? "If you promise not to abort every baby you want, I suppose I'll agree to allow you to only partly kill a couple of them." It's laughable to think that people with those opposing views could ever really agree on anything.

And yet, even though we pick a side, that is exactly what we ask of our politicians every time we vote. "Why can't we all just get along?" It's not only unrealistic, it's nearly impossible.

Richard Mourdock, a conservative, was defeated in a Senate race here in Indiana primarily because of a bad choice of words late in the campaign, and I highlighted that issue in a previous post, but even prior to that, one of the primary items about him that was attacked by the democrats was an interview he gave to CNN back in the spring during which he said that one of the things he enjoyed about politics is inflicting his will on others, or some words of that nature. Liberals beat him up pretty good over it. But democrats to the same thing, because he's right.

I don't want to get along with the other side, because I honestly think that their views and ideas are bad for our country. I voted for the individuals I did because I want them to go to Washington and defeat the other side. That's really why everyone votes, even if they're reluctant to admit it. They want their person to further their agenda, whatever that may be. Nobody votes for someone just so they can go to DC and "get along" with everybody else. Never happens.

But Obama, and liberal ideology in general, is even more damaging than that, because their agenda is based on class warfare. Their whole theology is based on pitting everybody against each other. Obama in no way tried to hide that agenda. He was open about his desire to tax the rich, and spend that money on social programs for poorer people. That mentality is coupled with the ideology that liberals are not just the only people who care for the downtrodden, but also the only people who can help those who are less fortunate. Liberalism espouses the idea that everyday life is gloomy and bad for most people, that it is because of rich people, and that the only people who can do anything about it is democrats.

Now, if you subscribe to those ideas, or believe them to be true, that's your prerogative and I won't try to change them. But you have to understand that that class-warfare mentality is precisely what prevents the very thing you accuse the other side of blocking... BP.

BP can never be achieved when one group of people always thinks the other side is out to get them. When you are ingrained to inherently distrust the other side, you will never find common ground with them, because there is no common ground to be had.

The point of this post isn't to try to convince someone that conservatism is better than liberalism, or vice versa, it's to point out that if you align yourself with one side or the other -- and we all do, even those who claim to be "independent" -- than the idea of working together with the other side is not only difficult, its foolish. Why would I vote for someone who I believe is a bad leader, or whose ideas I believe will hurt the country? Moreover, why would I want the people I did vote for trying to make compromises with those same bad ideas?

BP is really unattainable. The country would be a lot better off if everyone would own up to this. Because if they did, I believe it would better keep everyone focused on the issues, and less susceptible to the media bias of who they think just happens to be the hippest guy. If we ignore the myth of BP, we might actually vote based on the issues, and whose ideas are actually better for the country.

I know there will be some who read this who will never subscribe to my assessment, but their reluctance to admit the truth of it won't change the fact that the next time they head to the voting booth, they will align themselves with a side and choose the candidate they think best represents their side, just like I will. And they won't care if their guy is interested in "getting along" with the other side.

This is not meant to suggest that people with different viewpoints or ideas can't get along. We all have friends with whom we have opposing opinions on all sorts of matters. That is a reality of everyday life and I'm not suggesting we can't just "agree to disagree." This is a political issue, and the BP problem has existed from the foundation of this country. Which is precisely why there were opposing political parties from Day 1. The trendy notion, forwarded by an increasingly biased media, is that the inability to get along across the aisle is a relatively new phenomena in politics. Study your history, kiddos. It is not.

In closing -- and selfishly, I might add, in leading you to my next post -- this is a message to both sides of the aisle. I'm in no way trying to suggest that conservatives don't also make the mistake of trying to achieve BP. In fact, these days they often attempt to hearken back to a better day, and align themselves with and invoke the name a President who they believe represented BP like few others, and certainly none since.

They're right that he got things done with the other side. I would suggest he was one of the best at it. But is wasn't BP that got the job done.

I guess you'll have to read on...

Light-Sabres on the Beach

Several years ago, when I was a young father, I was honored to be invited to join a group of high school choir members as they traveled to the East coast for a choir competition. It was an all-girls choir. I got to be the drummer.

In lieu of compensation for my vast musical talent, they instead paid the expenses for my family to travel with me. We had an infant son, who was born the previous fall 11 weeks premature. After an 8-week stay in the hospital, doctor's orders kept us couped up in the house all Winter, so a chance to get some fresh ocean air as our first venture out with our new son was appealing. So my wife and I, along with my barely 3-year old son and our new baby, packed up and drove to the beach so I could play drums with a bunch of high school kids.

We had a great time. We had a room with a balcony facing the ocean, we got to spend time on the beach, eat at some cool restaurants, and spend a lot of time with teenagers. The energy that a group of teens can project is infectious. When they're having a good time, in makes everybody around them feel better. We just felt better being there. And all the girls in the choir oohed and ahhed over my two young boys. You know what they say... a baby is a chick-magnet. My wife and I enjoyed watching our young sons being fawned over by a group of high school girls.

But something else magical happened on that trip. And it didn't involve the girls.

A group of Senior boys from the school -- but who weren't in that choir -- decided to travel out to the coast to support the group anyway. I believe they traveled on their own dime, but I'm not really sure. They got a room in the hotel with the rest of us. I had developed friendships with them all. I had watched some grow up. I'm still friends with some of them today. So I was looking forward to hanging with the guys a little bit on the trip.

I did. Some. One evening, I hung out in their room, and hung way past my welcome. They thought I didn't know, but I did, which is why I hung around so long. They were hoping the old guy -- me -- would split so they could get to the party, which is to say, they wanted to drink the alcohol they had procurred. They didn't want me to know, what with them being underage and all, but I knew they had it, which is why I delayed the fun by hanging around so long. But they didn't know I knew.

For some reason, one of those young men had befriended my 3-year old son. The young man dated a girl who was a family friend, so we spent some more time with them than we might otherwise spend with high school kids, and they took a liking to my kids, and my kids to them. They came to their birthday parties, and our get-togethers, and they were our friends. And my 3-year old really liked the young man because the young man played with him, and treated him like the friend he was.

And they shared a fondness for Star Wars.

The young man had promised my son that sometime on this trip, he would play light-sabres with him. And my son was really looking forward to it. So, one evening, as the sun was setting, the young man took my son out to the beach and played light-sabres with him. You know... the cool ones. The ones that light up and even make the swooshing noise when you swing them, and the light-sabre "crack" when they clash.

This young man, who was digging hanging with his buddies, and certainly digging being with a whole choir of young, good-looking high school girls, played light-sabres on the beach with my 3-year old son. And they played, and my son laughed. And the young man laughed.

So often -- all too often, maybe -- we walk through life wondering if we ever make a difference. We long to affect others in a positive way, to impact somebody's life. Sometimes, people die never knowing if they ever did.

Tonight, I asked my now 17-year old son if he remembered playing on the beach that night. Not really, he says. But then, how many of us remember what we did when we were three? Says he has vague memories of it, but certainly remembers us talking about it as he's grown up. Seems as though each time we see the young man, we all recall the memory and share a laugh.

And there's the magic. That throughout all these years, the only thing we all talk about when we think back on that trip is the young man playing on the beach with our son. And we all laugh.

Tonight, the young man is hurting. He is a father now, and he and his young son have suffered a tragedy I can't fathom. And I wish I could help, but I can't. Tonight, he told me that he always looked up to me as a guy and a dad. That's touching, because he has always had a special place in my heart, and I suppose it's time I said thanks.

Because, all those years ago, when he thought he was just out being a goofy high school kid, he made a difference in my kid's life. I don't know whether he was Darth Vader, or Luke, but he made my son laugh, and my family laugh, and made me hope even more to be a good dad. And that means a lot.

Thanks Jed.

Rape Abortions

Here's the problem now with the abortion issue: Rape is the new, trendy, go-to argument for the liberals.

As they continue to lose ground in the abortion issue, as the laws continue to make it more restrictive, and it becomes tougher and tougher to justify, the rape aspect of it is their last bastion of hope.

Problem is, it's a trap. It's a trick-question, with its sole purpose nothing more than attempting to trap someone who's anti-abortion into saying that, somehow, they support it.

You see, most statistics show that the percentage of abortions tied to rape is about 1% of the overall number. And even if that stat is higher because so many rapes go unreported, its still a relatively small percentage. So, problem #1 is that, any way you look at it, rape is the least of the abortion problems. So, when someone claims to be anti-abortion, rape is the least determining factor that leads them to that decision.

Problem #2 is the misguided assertion that someone who is anti-abortion would somehow support a crime as heinous as rape. I am unequivocally opposed to abortion, and equally as opposed to rape. Not only do I abhor the crime, I think anyone who sexually forces themselves onto someone else against that person's will ought to have their genitals removed publically in the town square.

But the conundrum is this, by example: Murder is against the law. As a society, while we generally agree with that premise, we have no problem with someone who shoots and kills an intruder in their home, or someone who kills someone else in self-defense. We abhor the killing of someone else, but see its justification in extreme circumstances.

Breaking the speed limit is against the law, but generally, someone would get a pass for doing so if they were driving a heart attack victim to the hospital, or, ironically, a female about to give birth.

As an anti-abortionist, I'm against abortion in general practice, but cannot in good faith say that I would condemn someone from having one in the aftermath of a rape. That DOES NOT mean I support abortion. It means that I can see the law being bent in extreme cases. I think any right-minded pro-lifer would admit the same.

But that brings us to Problem #3. How many abortions can really be attributed to rape, and how many are simply sought under that banner to merely justify it? That's probably an impossible question to answer, but the reality is that most times when a liberal asks someone how they feel about abortions in cases of rape, what they are not doing is trying to protect women who are viciously raped. Rather, more often than not, they are merely trying to open a loophole through which anybody who wants one can have an abortion for any reason.

Worse -- as I believe the current situation with Richard Mourdock to be -- it is a political ploy to trap someone who they already know is against it into saying they somehow support it. The goofball who asked Mourdock his views on abortion in cases of rape;

1) wasn't trying to champion women's rights.
2) already knows Mourdock's position on abortion.
3) couldn't care less about Mourdock's view because he isn't voting for him anyway.
4) simply wants to twist Mourdock's words so they can be used against him in a campaign.

My friend Bryce said today that noone who heard what Mourdock had to say could actually believe he -- or God, for that matter -- somehow thinks rape is OK. And Bryce is right: no right-minded individual would walk away with that belief. But that wasn't the point. Wait for it... you'll see a political ad soon that somehow tries to portray Mourdock as a rape-supporter. And that was precisely the point of the question.

A trap.

Let's remember, the baby didn't choose to be created. Even in the event of something as horrifying as a rape, it's not the baby's fault he was conceived. So while I may be in no position to condemn the victim, I certainly don't believe anyone has the right to arbitrarily end that innocent life. But that's just me.

However, if liberals are so bent on protecting a woman's right to an abortion in cases of rape, then I have a solution. First, why does abortion have to be an all-inclusive law? Again, murder is against the law in this country, but there are also laws in place that justify it in cases of self-defense. Why can't this be done with abortion? Since this seems to be the liberal justification for abortion, then I propose the following:

In order to receive an abortion because of a rape, the woman must file a police report alleging a rape. And when a perpetrator is caught, the woman must file charges. If the perp is not apprehended until after the abortion, should the woman decide by then to not file charges, then she should be charged and fined for filing a false police report.

Look, I know there's bigger issues that involve women being afraid to report rape, and even further, women who fear facing their attackers. I get it, and understand its a problem. But we can't fix everything with one full stroke. One step at a time, as it were. But if liberals are going to insist on flying the abortion banner under the issue of rape, then by all means, to the best of our ability, there should be some rules put into place ensuring the woman was actually raped.

I don't think that's too much to ask.

Day 10... Time to go home.

Day 10...

We go home today.

I'm thankful I've had the chance to write. I've missed it.

Thanks for reading.

The end.

Day 9... Dolphins and South Beach

Day 9...

Today is Cody's birthday.

This trip wasn't planned for him, but seeing as how it was planned over the boys' new 2-week fall break, and that break coincided with Cody's birthday, then a few special things were planned. What he did request was a dinner at Hooters, being the dog he is, and so we fulfilled that a couple nights ago. He also wanted to go to Miami.

So, it was down to Miami for our last full day here, which is about an hour from us. We all trouped up in a newly rented Suburban (nice!) and made the trip all the way down to the Miami Seaquarium. Now, while it was indeed Cody's request to go to Miami on his birthday, Ginger was the one who guided us to the Seaquarium. Because they have dolphins.

And if there's dolphins nearby, Ginger wants to see 'em.

And the Miami Seaquarium has lots of 'em, not the least of which is the World Famous Flipper, although I suspect the one they introduced as Flipper is probably not the original, but I don't think anyone cares. And one of the dolphins in the Flipper show was claimed to be the son of the dolphin, Snowflake, from Ace Venture fame, so there's that.

We had a really nice time, with some cool pictures, highlighted by Ginger's Mom's generosity that allowed us to all to get to pet and have our picture taken with one of the dolphins, much to the delight of the little girl inside Ginger. The Seaquarium is a very cool place and if you get the chance to go, you should go.

From there it was off to South Beach.

The beaches of South Miami are very big, and as such, I assume, ripe for loads of people. As we got there later in the afternoon, our hunger dictated that we eat first. So we chose a place called Finnegans and by the time we were done, it was too late to catch some of the finer South Beach ambience -- if you know what I mean. But we had a good time anyway.

Driving down Ocean Boulevard on South Beach, it appears that the fare and vibe of that beach lends itself to a slightly more adult clientele, than, say, Panama Beach, which is a haven for teenagers and young adults. I'm sure South Beach gets its fair share of young beach-goers, but the shops and restaurants seem to appeal to an older -- and dare I say -- more sophisticated customer. Just my impression.

But I can tell you this... I'm not sure I'd want to spend a lot of time there as that beach filled up. It's huge, and as I look out over the balcony now from where we are staying, I'll take the beach here at Delray anyday. We're here in the offseason, I know, and so I'm sure even the beach here can get pretty full at times, but I suspect South Beach is full all the time. No thanks.

I'm gonna miss it here. We hit a home run with the weather, as its been spectacular from the get go, and its been a great time of relaxing, reflecting, and renewal. Everybody needs a chance to reset from time to time, and I'm the first to admit that not every vacation offers that chance. That's my fault, mostly. Most of the time, when I leave for a vacation, I want to see and do, but this time, I just wanted to relax. There were many days we just sat around the house until the afternoon, all of us just reading in silence. I think we all needed that.

There will come a day -- very soon, I suspect -- that I will yearn badly to come back here, and there's lots of stuff I want to see and do while I'm here, but this time, I'm just thankful I had the chance to reset.

I'd be lying if I said I'm ready to go home. I'm never ready to leave a vacation. I'm ready to see my friends, and our puppies, but I'm not ready to leave. But I'm thankful -- very much so -- for the time I've gotten here to relax.

Oh, one more thing... wherever I go, I have my family with me. My boys and my beautiful wife. So every place is a good place to be.

It's important I don't forget that.

Day 6 & 7... Alligator Hunting

Days 6 & 7...

I'm writing this after I wrote Day 8, and because I haven't written in a coupla days. But mainly because since I've started chronicalling our vacation in South Florida, I sorta feel obligated to cover the whole thing, at least for me.

So I combined two days. Big deal, right?

We went alligator hunting on Friday. And lest you think most of this vacation has revolved around Cody, we did so because Cory wanted to see alligators. Cory has a fascination with alligators and sea turtles. Several years ago, Cory's grandfather and uncle began regailing him with stories of wild alligators they see regularly at their vacation home in Hilton Head. After several trips there ourselves, we have yet to see the same. In fact, for the most part, and to Cory's chagrin, our alligator sightings have been limited to visits to a place called the Crab Shack on Tybee Island, which not only sports maybe the best outdoor ambience of any restaurant I've ever visited, but also a bevy of captive alligators, which can be fed by the restaurant-goers. It's a must-visit for Cory.

So, being as we are so close to the Everglades, we went alligator hunting, the term "hunting" being used here lightly, as it consisted of us paying an airboat operation to take us and several other tourists less than a mile into the glades to see the wildlife.

To make a long story short, we REALLY enjoyed the experience, and we REALLY got to see some wild gators, to Cory's delight. But the alligator "wrangling" demonstration we got to see at the end as part of the package was really the coolest part, as a young, volunteer, bare-footed female did indeed wrangle a gator that was equal to, or even slightly bigger than, she was. When she started off her presentation by asking the on-lookers if we wanted her to wrestle a more calmer and experienced gator, or the more feisty, rambunctious gator, we, of course, cheered for the rambunctious choice, me thinking, "OK, she has to ask that to make it more interesting." Well, I can only believe that either she's telling the truth -- that indeed some were more tamer than others -- or that they're ALL feisty, and she just makes the comment for effect, because this was one grumpy gator.

And while she did all the same gator-wrangling tricks one often sees that seem somewhat hokey on TV, I can tell you that this particular gator was NOT interested in being wrangled. The small, young lady was in the pit by herself, with all of the other gators looking on, and she truly wrangled into submission this gator who was more interested in getting in the water. When you see some big bruiser climbing on the back of some gator and he gets his head chomped on, you're sorta pulling for the gator. But I found myself definitely rooting for the girl in this exchange, and I really enjoyed the show.

Later, at Cody's request (surprise) we went to Hooters in Ft. Lauderdale for his "birthday" dinner. (It's not until Monday.) I have to admit, for a restaurant, the ambience at Hooters isn't bad either. {Said the author, without a hint of sarcasm!}

That night, me and the boys went to see the new movie Argo. If you have not already, and you're sorta into political thrillers, go see this one. A very good movie revolving around the Iranian hostage crisis.

Yesterday, things got downright exciting as Campaign Romney has rolled into town. Turns out, Monday's presidential debate is just a few miles up the coast from us in Boca Raton, and Mitt and his team have arrived to prepare, and word is he is staying in the Marriott hotel which is literally one block away from us. US Coast Guard gun boats have been patrolling the shore line right in front of us since yesterday morning, intercepting any boats they deem are too close to the shoreline and ushering them further out to sea. Talk on the sidewalk last night was of the secret service snipers now perched on top of the hotel. We've seen the motorcade go by a couple of times. Kinda cool, really, except that I was planning to visit the roof of our own building before we left, and now I believe that excursion might be ill-advised. I will update you if I get to see the man I hope will be the next President of the United States.

Otherwise, we've been trekking out to get something to eat, and I can tell you the local community is very quaint and laid back. Delray Beach seems to get less attention than say, Boca Raton to the south and Boynton and Palm Beaches to the north, which makes it a nice place to hang out without huge amounts of people. The shops are small and reasonably priced, and within just a few miles, you'll find more of the national chains of shops and restaurants if that's what gets you going.

We leave in just a couple of days. It's gonna be hard to go. A guy could get used to a place like this.

Day 8... The Sunrise

Day 8

My wife and I got up together to watch the sunrise this morning.

We've been together, Ginger and I, for over 25 years now and I think that's the first time we've ever watched a sunrise together.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ginger remembers another time that I don't, because that happens quite a bit. I like to consider myself somewhat of a romantic, insomuch as I am helplessly in love with my wife, but my memory isn't always the greatest, so there's every possibility that I've let a previous sunrise with my wife slip my mind. But her sheer love of sleeping certainly has prevented us from seeing most, what with her being in bed and all, and not outside.

In any regard, they've been few and far between, if they've been at all, and I suggest you grab your sweetie the first chance you get and watch one together. It was very nice.

And of course, watching the sunrise here over the ocean is different from watching it, say, from over the Wal-Mart in Heartland Crossing, which is where it would be if I could actually see it from my house, which I can't. (The sunrise, that is.) For me to see a sunrise from my house, it has to rise over the trees east of about 4 houses down from us. I can't imagine that would be as pretty as it is here, but I can't honestly say, because I don't think I've ever made a point to head out of my house and specifically watch it, to my detrement.

How many times have I been driving -- anywhere -- and seen the sun come up and not be moved by it like I am here. Often, I'm annoyed because my eyes really don't do well out in the sun, especially looking right into it.

Shame.

Because every day the sun comes up is a good day. As Tom Hanks says in Cast Away, "I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?" That hits home here more, when you see just how spectacular a sunrise really is.

But there's one more thing... I got to watch it with the most beautiful girl in the world. As gorgeous as the sunrise is, there is nothing more gorgeous than Ginger. If God gets an A for the sunrise, He gets and A+ for the girl I get to watch it with. Because she is the reason getting up in the morning to watch a sunrise is worthwhile.

So for me, I guess it's not the sunrise after all. It's who I got to watch it with.

Day 5... Hooping and Hollaring

Day 5...

After lounging much of the morning, I decided it was time to once again get in the ocean. The wind has calmed considerably since our first days here, and consequently the surf has done the same. Ginger, who is still recovering from the surgery on her head, had a little pain this morning, so she went back to nap and me and the boys ventured out.

Gone was the seaweed and the other junk that was stirred up in the water from the wind-blown days. The ocean on this day was much more clear, and even though it is calmer, the surf is still breaking right at the beach line pretty stout.

We weren't in five minutes when Cory got bit by something. Not sure what, but he had two little teeth marks at the base of his foot. His day in the water was over, save wondering around at beach line and letting the surf roll around his feet.

But Cody was the highlight. If you know my youngest son, he is the excitable sort. Adventurous and loves to have fun. To explain what he did today, I have to tell a story from several years ago.

When he was 5 or 6, I found a deal on Priceline one weekend, and just he and I flew out to Los Angelas for a coupla days. We'd never seen the Pacific Ocean. We rented a car and just drove for a day or so looking around. But he wanted to get in the ocean. He'd never seen an ocean, much less get into one. It was Springtime, so it was pretty chilly. But he didn't care. After getting over the scare of the first wave hitting him, he sat down in the edge of the surf, freezing, and just hooped and hollared as wave after wave came and crashed in on him. He had a blast, and it was so much fun sitting there, not only watching him, but listening to his obvious enjoyment.

He did that again yesterday. Yes, he's almost 15 now, but he sat at the beach line and yelled and screamed like he was a little boy as the waves would blast him up on the beach and then roll him back out in the water. I laughed for half an hour just listening to him. Later, he sat in the sand as the surf rolled in and out until his swimsuit literally bulged with sand. He had to get into the ocean and remove his trunks to let the sand out just so he could walk back.

As bad as I felt for Cory for the bite on his foot, Cody made it up for both of us as we laughed at him the whole time.

Just as we started to leave, a young lady came jogging by. Appealing as she was, we were forced to linger a bit, and Cody was very tempted to follow her in a jog. His better judgment prevailed and we headed back.

As it started to rain later and on into the evening, we stayed in and watched movies and ate in the house.

This is the reason we never left our kids behind when we went on vacation. I'm in no position to judge others, but Ginger and I NEVER went on vacation without our boys. We had a family so we could do things as a family, and I never understood others who can leave their kids behind when they want to go have some fun. Just never made sense to me.

There will come a time, very soon, as it turns out, when our boys will be out on their own, and we'll have plenty of time to ourselves. And I absolutely love the opportunities Ginger and I have to be alone when they arrive, but our time with our children is becoming very fleeting, and I never wanted to miss the chance to be with them and enjoy their company.

Yesterday reminded me of why.

Day 4... The Mall

Day 4...

We went to the mall yesterday.

I could probably just say "Nuff Said," and be done with it, but really, there is more to it than that. My wife wanted to lay out (which I'm all for, because she puts on a swim suit and gets tan) and the boys and I just weren't into it.

So we left to explore. Drove up the costal roadway from Delray, which, quite frankly, should feature a lot more ocean scenery than it does, the view being mostly blocked by trees and expensive homes and such. Searched and found a music store in Boynton Beach, which is really just another beachfront community on the east coast of Florida, but is sorta fun to say.

Turns out, there's not a lot of music stores in this area, which is kind of a bummer, but the one we found did have a few left-handed guitars, which is rare to any music store. They still weren't high-end models, but oh well. They never are, but I digress.

That led us to the mall right behind the music store. Pretty standard, really, but nice. Once again, however, after I leave, I'm struck by the irony that I have traveled to south Florida to visit a mall that virtually featured everything as do the malls in Indiana, including the oriental food we ate. Cory did buy us some Popeye's Chicken biscuits, though, so there's that.

Since we couldn't find anymore music stores, we decided instead to seek out pawn shops. Exciting stuff, yeah? We found a few, and with the exception of two teenage boys in charge of one who were watching Big Bang Theory on a big screen in the shop, they left a little to be desired, pawn shop-wise.

So what's the moral? I'm left to understand that, more or less, we are all creatures of habit. We all, I think, basically live and play in places that make us comfortable. We move when we become so uncomfortable we can't take it anymore. And when we leave home -- wherever home may be -- we eventually tend to seek out those things with which we are familiar. I'm trying to change that up a bit while I'm here, but I think there's something to be said for the fact that I'm waking up everyday in a gorgeous beach front home, with the Atlantic Ocean within arms reach, and I went to a mall.

On the other hand, I got to spend some time with my boys. And that ain't so bad.

Day 3... Just Being

Day 3...

I got in the ocean yesterday, which is saying something, because the flags on the beach were red, meaning that it's a little dangerous, one is to suppose. The waves were breaking at about three or four feet, after several days of very high winds here in the area.

I've been in the ocean before, lots of times, but as I get older, I understand what Jerry Seinfeld meant when he said that really, mankind spends a lot of time trying to get into the ocean, and that the ocean is just always trying to throw us out. Seeing as I seemed to be the only guy in eyesight who was willing to venture out as far as I did, I figured that maybe I ought to heed that warning. So Ginger and I sat down on the beach right at the edge of the surf until our suits filled up with sand.

I realized as I sat down and started to write down my thoughts that I didn't have any real insightful message to pass on. No deep, emotional thoughts, or meaningful knowledge good for the universe. As such, I think I instead felt the importance of what it feels like to just be. Lots of Neil Diamond songs come to mind, like "I Am, I Said" and "Be."

To just be, to exist, to be a part of the carriage ride that is our everyday life. I'm no more important here in South Florida than I am in Central Indiana, but somehow, it just feels that way. Something about the power of the ocean, the salt in the air and the wind in my face makes me feel that my existence is more potent in some way. That by being, I really do matter.

Of course, maybe I'm just enjoying myself so much that I've gone nuts. Maybe I'll look back on this post someday and think, "What in the freak was I talking about?"

On the other hand, we did go to a mexican restaurant that did NOT serve queso, AND wasn't spicy. It was very good, but they didn't have melted cheese, and I didn't have to set my face on fire to enjoy the food. Have you ever been to a mexican restaurant that didn't offer queso with their chips? Or a genuine mexican place that didn't set every dish ablaze before serving? That's gotta mean something deep, right?

Oh yeah, and I remembered that the sight of my wife in a bathing suit still turns me on.

Day 2... Vegging Out

Day 2

I woke up this morning and took a walk on the beach. It was, of course, beautiful. Even though there were clouds this morning that blocked the view of the actual sunrise, I still think I got some nice pictures of the sun streaking through, finally breaking free about a half hour later.

Yesterday, we vegged. As Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman: "Be still like vegetables. Lay like broccoli." That's pretty much what we did all day. We never left the condo. Ate inside all day and watched TV. Which means we must be the only nerds in the world who left the cold weather in Indiana to come to Florida and stay inside all day.

In our defense, it was pretty windy outside, and even though the temps are in the 80's, there was a riptide warning on the beach, and the waves were crashing pretty high, so it was probably in our best interest to not test it, being lifelong landlubbers and all. Plus, the wind can really jack with Ginger's head and cause all kinds of ear aches and so forth. So she doesn't like to be out in the wind much.

But there's something to be said for just relaxing. Usually, on vacation, I'm the one who wants to be on the go, all the time, much to the chagrin of my wife. I like to do all the things on vacation that I can't do at home. Ginger likes to lay on the beach. She's resolved herself all these years to just follow me around on vacation, God bless her, and she often remarks how she comes home more worn out than before we left.

But for some reason, I've really been looking forward to just relaxing on this one. Just taking some time to rest and soak it all in. I suppose we all need to do that sometimes. Just "lay like broccoli," as it were, and rest while the rest of the world floats by. I think I need that right now.

So I walked on the beach this morning, while everybody else slept (except for Cody, who decided to go for a jog even before I got up, and promptly got lost trying to make it back to the condo.) I walked, and I prayed, and I watched a guy fish, and another guy throw the frisbee to himself. He really did! He would throw it up into the wind, and then chase it down as it blew back his way. I watched little birds (I really don't know what kind they are) pick at the sand when the water would recede, and then run away as the tide chased them back.

After a few, I sat down on a beach chair and just watched the sun break through the clouds. I called my Mom and told her I loved her.

And as I sat there, I wondered to myself: Do the people who live here all the time ever get used to this?

God's Beauty from Delray

Day 1

I'm sitting here on the patio on my first morning here in Delray. It's not my first time seeing the Atlantic Ocean but it is my first time here in this part of Florida.
 

As is always the case with the ocean, the view in the morning sun here is breathtaking and I'm reminded once again of the beauty of Gods creation. This is a place I think I could get used to and a place a person would want to make time for.
 

My wife says she loves palm trees. Says the sight of them just makes her happy. That makes me happy, because she deserves to feel that way and so I'm glad she's blessed with the chance to see one.

 

As pretty as it is though, I wonder why we always have to leave on a vacation and go away from our home to be reminded of the beauty of God and His creation. As I sit here and think about it, I see His beauty everyday in my normal life.
 

I wake up every morning next to His most beautiful creation. She's still asleep right now in the back bedroom, missing seeing the palm trees bending over in the morning wind off the surf. But she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, whether she's asleep or awake, here in Florida or back home again in Indiana.
 

The colors of the trees back home are beautiful right now. I think my yard is pretty. Especially after it's mowed. I have a cool yard. It's green, with the texture of clover and crab grass, and in the spring it's mixed with the colors of yellow and white of the dandelions and in the fall with the color of the falling leaves. Sometimes, we get lucky and those little purple patches of flowers just crop up all over the yard. Some people have boring yards, with no color or texture. Just green grass. I like mine better because all those pretty things come from God without any help from me at all.
 

Sometimes, I wake up and my two dogs are curled around me and my wife. Most times, actually. And occasionally my dog KC curls up with me and let's me hold him like a teddy bear. We'll sleep that way, he and I. I think that's beautiful.
 

I could go on, but the truth is, God's beauty is around us everywhere we go, no matter where we end up. And I suppose if there's anything I can take away from my time relaxing here, I want to remember that I don't have to leave home to experience God.
 

He's all around us, all the time.

Loving Bri.... What's in a tear?

I shed a few tears today. Not many - I am ashamed to admit, not quite understanding why - but a few nonetheless. I heard the news as I was just about the watch the first pitch of my own son's first baseball game of the Spring. And spent some private thoughts trying to understand just what that tear meant.

What's in a tear? In my wife's was genuine sorrow, twinged with a speck of guilt that perhaps she'd missed an opportunity to visit one last time and tell the Princess that she loved her. That guilt, however small and unwarranted, will fade. My wife had a sister-like connection with her, and she will soon understand that the Princess knew full well she was loved. Her tears will eventually transform into joy, with praise in knowing that she was healed after all.

But what's in my tear? I think I have some ideas...

There's grief in the loss of someone so precious.

There's hurt in my heart in seeing my wife's sorrow.

There's sadness in seeing an entire community feel that their idea of a miracle didn't happen.

There's regret that I didn't do more. And that I was stupid enough to think that I "couldn't" do more.

There's sorrow for her family, realizing -- but, of course, never comprehending -- the tremendous loss they must feel.

There's comfort in knowing that the Princess is now healed. No more pain, and made whole again. The little girl who was once so full of life is now full again. Running and jumping and dancing. Maybe she'll even pet my dog Gizmo if she can catch him.

There's satisfaction in knowing she loved Jesus, because her Mommy and Daddy took the time to take her to church and teach her about God. Truly the greatest gift they could have ever given her.

There's joy in knowing that there will be people in Heaven because of the Princess and the powerful story she had to tell. People who may not have been there otherwise.

There's assuredness in knowing that God did not do this to her. That this terrible, horrible, evil disease came from Satan, whose only worthless trait is to prowl around in the night like a lion seeking someone to devour. A spirit so vile that the best he can do is prey on innocent little girls and steal their little lives in his sick hope that it will turn people away from God. Little did he know that it did just the opposite.

There's wonder in how God can turn something so terrible in our world into something so glorious in His. That He could somehow unite an entire community in the sole purpose of praying for a little girl, with the sole outcome being that God is praised, and people who didn't know Jesus will get to join the Princess in Heaven.

There's elation in knowing that God is greater than anything we can ever face. That He can be glorified even in the worst of circumstances. And that there are people willing to praise Him even in their greatest sorrows.

There's hope that somehow, someway, my life can have a fraction of the impact on others that this little girl's did -- in a fraction of the time, no less. That my 42 years plus can somehow touch people the way her 9 plus did.

There's the color pink, everywhere.

There's praise to God for blessing me with family -- a wife and two glorious sons -- who I want to hold a little closer tonight and not forget to thank God for.

There's thankfulness that I had the chance - if only briefly - to know the Princess. To have held her in both her good health, and her sickness. And that even though she liked to hide under the table from me at times, she seemed to genuinely like to see me. And to be held by me. And that I had the chance to tell her I loved her, at her 9th birthday party. And that I got to see her smile when the clown came in.

There's gratefulness that I am friends with her parents, and that I can count them among my brothers and sisters in Christ. That her Dad is a man of God who is worthy of our respect, and her Mom is a woman in whom Jesus would be proud.

There's probably more, but I'm tired, and hurting, and just hoping that God will give me the right word to say at the right time.

That's what's in my tear. Later there may be more tears. Right now, there's just a few.