My Father's Day Week

I had a long and wonderful Father's Day weekend. It actually began last Tuesday when the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA championship. I didn't watch and really don't care about he NBA, but I am always glad to see Lebron James lose big games and hear people make excuses for him. Yes his star teammates were hurt this year, but last year in Miami he was surrounded by all-stars and still lost. He is a great player and one of the great second place finishers of all-time. He is 2-4 in the Finals. MJ was 6-0. You can tell me all you want to that it's a tired old argument- but as Jason Segel once famously said in the movie Bad Teacher, "it's the only argument that matters!" So the celebration started early at my house., including lots of time with the fine fellow you see below, my nearly 20 year old son Will.

Saturday afternoon was spent with my wife at a friend's house in Orlando catching up with some former youth group students from my days in Kissimmee. It was wonderful to see Jocelyn, Todd, Hamp, Jerry and their families. Laughter was in abundant supply as always and there were no sightings of naked Jerry. So the afternoon was a total win!

Sunday arrived and my dog woke me up at 4:40 am to wish me Happy Father's Day. Will had to work a 12 hour day at Olive Garden so our real celebration would wait until Monday. Still, it was a very fun day. Marilyn and I went to see Inside Out, which is phenomenal, and then had lunch at Boston's, one of our favorite places. Upon our return home I found a package waiting for me, a gift I had ordered for myself. The box set of the original sessions from The Beach Boys legendary SMiLE album (pictured below) which I have since sat and listened to with Will. It's now on his iPod. It was a truly wonderful gift to myself- and not just the music. As he prepares to leave for Orlando in August I treasure those moments with my son. And the day ended with dinner at Will's OG, where Marilyn and I were joined by our dear friend Lisa Jewett. It was a great day.

Monday brought a surprise visit from my old friend Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi, better known in some circles as Bob. We sat and chatted for an hour or so, which made the day special right off  the bat. That night we had our official Father's Day celebration. We shared a family dinner at Bahama Breeze (complete with Key Lime pie!) and then it was time for cards and gifts. My presents included a nifty Hawaiian-style Star Wars shirt from the Star Wars weekends at WDW and this incredibly cool plush figure of Stitch dressed as Yoda. Other men may want grills and power tools, but my family knows me well. And growing up is WAY overrated!

The week-long party concluded yesterday when Will and I headed out for brunch at the Cracker Barrel (GRAVY!) and then he took me to see Love & Mercy again. We already knew I loved it; we discovered that he did too. It's just a wonderfully made film that tells a remarkable story. He already loved Pet Sounds, and now he is hooked on SMiLE as well. After seeing the movie it is safe to say my son is a full-fledged fan of The Beach Boys. I'm very proud of my parenting skills today!

Thus endeth my incredible week. I am so blessed to have such a loving family and to have this wonderful relationship with my young adult son. I am so blessed by so many friends. I hope you have enjoyed this quick trip through my week. I will keep saying it, mostly for myself, but all of you readers as well- don't take anything for granted in this life. Seize the day. Go for the gusto. And "enjoy every sandwich!"

Because of Jesus,

The Leader of the Band

Happy Father's Day, everyone! My own Dad passed away in 2006, but not a day goes by that Marilyn, Will and I don't miss him and think of him. Anyone who ever knew Bill Jones has great memories of him, and so many shared those stories at his memorial service. He was a wonderful father, husband, coach, boss and friend...and he was a GREAT grandfather to Will. There are so many stories I could fill this space with today, but the one I want to tell you is about Bernard Hughes.

In the early to mid 1970's my Dad was coaching little league football for the Guilford College Steelers. It was late one summer and teams were organizing so he was out looking for players, ages 8-10. As he drove through a very rough area of our community he spotted a couple of kids tossing a football around, so he stopped and asked them how old they were and if they would like to play for his team. One kid in particular was very excited. His name was Bernard Hughes. After some searching, Dad found Bernard's mom and asked her if it would be OK for Bernard to play football. She said yes, and signed the release to let him play. We never saw her again. Dad quickly discovered that Bernard had nothing. Dad would pick him up everyday and take him to practice, and then take him home at night. Bernard had no decent shoes, so Dad bought him football cleats. We soon found that Bernard was a natural football player who could run like the wind. But he didn't know his left from his right, so Dad taped "L" and "R" on his respective feet so he would know which way to run. He wound up being a pretty good player- but that's not why I remember him so well.

3 Bears- Will, Baloo & Dad

Bernard started coming by our house and hanging out, usually so he could get something to eat. Dad would give him things to do and feed him. One Thanksgiving, Bernard came by and helped us pick up leaves in the yard and Mom invited him to stay for dinner. You have never seen anyone enjoy a meal more. Bernard became part of the family, until one day he just disappeared. His mom moved and took Bernard with her, and we never even knew where they went. There were other Bernards as the years went by, but he is the one I remember best.

Jesus said in Matthew 25 that they way we treat the least important people in the world is the way we treat him. My Dad was not much of a church-goer for the last 35 years of his life, but he understood Jesus. It never occurred to him to treat Bernard, an under-resourced black kid from a bad neighborhood, with anything but love and respect. It never occurred to him to treat anyone with anything but love and respect, and that is why everyone who knew my Dad was touched by him. In a world where violence and hatred seem to be the order of the day we could use a lot more people like my Dad.

So on this Father's Day, even more that usual, I miss him. And though I continue to fall short, I want to live life with the same joy and love that he did. To borrow from the late Dan Fogelberg: "My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man. I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band." May Jesus use us to touch all the Bernards of the world in His name.

Because of Jesus,