A Time of Reflection

Sitting here this morning thinking about life and feeling philosophical. Thinking about all of the great people in my life that were lost last year. I'm feeling selfish and wishing they were all here. I know that they are in a better place.  That being said I'm wondering what impact I've made on all of the people in my life. Have I made as difference. I would like to think so.  I would like to think when people reflect back over my life that I've made them laugh or smile and forget life for a little while. I think that should be what we all strive for. That should be our legacy.  Was your life better for knowing me?  We worry about getting ahead and the day to day. Everyone has complaints but the truth is no one wants to hear them.  Have you ever been around someone that complains all the time. Just a few hours around them and you are drained emotionally. They wake up complaining and go to bed the same way. You think to yourself surely they could find one thing to be thankful for.  Honestly, everyone of us  could fill a day with complaints and be miserable. What good does it do. Truthfully, a lot of our misery is our own doing. We could change a lot of our situation with better life choices. The old saying " Life is What you make it" holds a lot of truth. Yes I know we don't control everything. A lot of hardships are thrown on us and we are left to pick up the pieces. That's where a person who has an impact on your life comes into play. A person who is unselfish and puts others first.  To be there no matter the time of day. To put a smile on your face. To pray or just be a shoulder to lean on. It takes dedication.  That's the kind of people I want in my life.  That's the kind of man I want to be. That is one of the reasons my dad is such a great man. He is always there for others. You want a life that's fulfilling put others first. You will be blessed for it. You will leave a legacy that will live forever.  Look back in history and think about the people who made a difference and think about the qualities that set them apart. The truth is no one but friends and family may know you even existed. You may never be famous and that's OK.  When they reflect back on your life will they think about a tortured soul who was never happy or will they smile and think about the impact you had on their life. I choose the latter. It's not too late to start trying to make a difference today. It starts with thinking about others and putting yourself at the back of the line. Here is a tip don't do it for compliments and get discouraged because no one is noticing, someone is always watching and you are an example to someone. Before you know it you could be the next person who unknowingly starts a revolution.  Make a difference.
God Bless
Kenney " Big Skinny" Pope.

Replacement Parts

February 7th 2014 was a day of packing and getting ready for another weekend of cheer.  We were on our way to San Antonio. We would watch some of the competition and take in a little sight seeing. I had been in a while since I had been to San Antonio, so I was excited to see the River Walk and all that it had to offer. We got to the hotel and unpacked. Now to venture out and have some fun. I remember lots of walking and trying to find the area where the girls were practicing to get ready for Saturday.  They had spent all year  gearing up for this moment. When practice was over we decided to stroll the River Walk to find a place to eat. We all Made our way into the Joes Crab Shack and I remember laughing and having fun with the other parents. We finished up and walked to the hotel and called it a night. We made plans for the next day and fell asleep. Around 5:am Cynthia received a phone call and it woke us up. I could only hear her half of the conversation but I could tell it was one of those calls you hate to receive.  They had to rush her dad to the hospital and it wasn't looking good.  We needed to get back to Fort Worth asap.  We frantically packed up and told the girls to stay and compete for "WoWo" that's what they called their Grandfather. We made it back in 3.5 hours.  We were there for a short while when the family decided to let Tony go home. He passed quietly on February 8th 2014.  That was our last trip to San Antonio.
    This past weekend with yet another Cheer competition going on we decided to make another trip. The last trip 2 years ago, we felt was cursed and we needed to replace parts of it in our memory. We spent the last 2 years dreading a weekend getaway for fear of another catastrophy.  We packed up and left on Saturday and I will say that there was a sense of gloom in the beginning, but with every new memory made we slowly put that last trip in the rearview mirror.  By the end of the trip it was honestly one of the best weekends me and Cynthia have ever had.  We didn't erase that day its still there. What we can say now is this. The last time we were in San Antonio we had a blast. It was not marred by an earth shattering event.  We have to do that sometimes in life replace bad memories with good ones because life doesn't stop until ours is over. Don't be afraid to do something because  of something that happened in the past. Life is chock full of what ifs. Be willing to make new memories.  You will find that the replacement parts shine brighter than the faded broken memories.