Greatest Influence of My Life

My dad was one of the greatest influences in my life.  He raised me and my brothers with love, high expectations and a sense of humor.  There were positive influences in his life too, especially his high school and college football coaches. 

Legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was one of those influences in Daddy’s life.  When the Bear spoke, people listened.  He was known for being blunt and to the point as he spoke in a slow southern drawl that people recognize to this day.  I remember as a child watching his Sunday TV show where he talked about the win or loss of the previous day’s game.  Businesses loved to sponsor his show and my mouth still waters when I recall him talking about Coca Cola and Golden Flake Potato Chips. The iconic commercial for South Central Bell is one that people still talk about today. It includes Bear’s famous line, “Have you called your momma today?  I sure wish I could call mine.”  In the commercial he says it’s important to keep in touch with the ones you love.  Daddy felt the same way.  It bothered him how much society had changed because he felt that families don’t get together like they did in “the old days”.  Spending time with his sister, my Aunt Nancy, and our “extended” family meant more to him than most people knew. And the older I get, the more I value quality time with our family, my “familee” and my close friends.

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a long weekend with several close high school friends at a beautiful lake house in east central Alabama.  It was kind of like that movie, “The Big Chill.” Several of the “boys and girls” I’ve known since the first grade and on through high school, along with a few gracious spouses, gathered to celebrate everyone turning 60 years old. (Did I really say that?! It feels so surreal!)  We have been friends most of our lives and turning 60 together was something none of us wanted to miss.  Mary Kelly Lamons, truly the kindest and most thoughtful peron I’ve ever known, organized the whole event. Over the weekend, we shared lots of food, beverages, and stories from long ago…the kind of stories may have changed a little with time but that got funnier each time they were told.  Our cheeks hurt and our bellies ached from all the laughter.  But the best part is that our souls were fed with joy and true love. Two of those wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit! The fruits that were planted in all of us from our parents and grandparents. The fruits that God has grown in us and passed through us for 60 years.  That weekend we celebrated so much together… from Cinco de Mayo to the Kentucky Derby and we topped it off with a joint “60th birthday” party. The spouses were amazed how close we’ve remained through the years, especially as we’ve all gotten older and followed different paths.  

The weekend was a blast, and it flew by way too fast. The last morning we were there, I got up early to fix coffee and our buddy Brad already had it brewing.  I was still in my pj’s and decided to walk down to the pier overlooking the quiet lake to enjoy my hot cup of brew.  As I slowly sipped my freshly brewed java, it occurred to me how this group of high school friends, boys and girls, could still be so close.  You know, the kind of friends who easily just pick up where they left off. Even if it was 40 years ago. So before leaving, I shared my thoughts (through tears) with the group about how we may have found the secret to a happy life.  It was simple, we made it a priority to spend time with one another to enjoy life.   And that weekend we were reminded how much we truly care for one another.   We remembered how we don’t just laugh AT each another but also WITH each other. We know how to laugh at ourselves. And most importantly, we know that none of us are perfect.  Yet we share a true unconditional love for one another simply for being who we are.  This kind of love is a gift.  The kind of love that grows stronger through the different seasons of life. The memories are always cherished even if they shift a little bit over time. Yes, the stories may change a bit through the years, but the love remains the same.  

Unfortunately, we’ve also experienced losses and understand the challenges that accompany life sometimes.  Transitions of mixed emotions that come with caring for our aging parents in their later years as they get closer to their final resting place.  As I write this post, one of my very dearest friends is making funeral arrangements for her own father who went to Heaven early this morning.  My circle of friends and I have shared other losses. We’ve witnessed the illnesses and deaths of our close friends.  A few of us have even lost spouses. Several of us have gone through the pain of a difficult divorce or the loss of close friendships. Many of us have experienced the waves of emotions as our own kids leave home to make their mark in this big old world. These are all seasons that strengthen our roots and make us stronger if we let them.  Like big strong trees, we develop deep roots that can bear more fruit as the years go by.  We’ve each tasted bitter lemons.  Along the way we’ve tossed seeds aside, some good and others not so good.  We’ve each had opportunities to make our own lemonade. 

For this reason, we are truly blessed.  And we can be grateful for the seeds that have been planted in our lives, starting way back before we ever learned to take that first scary leap into life’s deep waters.  Because even though we may not have realized it at times, there was always a safe hand to guide us along our way. Our parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, mentors and others made sure of that. They instilled a deep faith in us early on that became an anchor through the years. And while we may not be able to pick up the telephone and call them today, the seeds they planted in us have matured through the years.  And now, one way or another, we too are influencing the people in our lives along the way.  Each day we are blessed with the choice to plant seeds, water them, and hope they take root.  Yep, it’s crazy to believe 60 years have come and gone.  The important thing to keep in mind is that we have this day… today… to keep planting those seeds and enjoying the harvest. So, remember that today is the day the Lord has made.  Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.  

Today’s Reflection 

Take a few minutes to sit and remember.  Who is someone who has planted a seed in your life? The kind of seed that made your life better, that helped make you who you are today.  Sort of like a farmer who planted the seeds that bloom beautiful flowers or produces trees with strong roots and good fruit.  Life distracts us or keeps us busy, but I dare you to STOP, pause a few minutes to smell those yellow roses.  Take time today to reach out to one person who planted a good seed in your life along the way. Pick up the phone and call them.  Surprise them with a pretty hydrangea plant or maybe drop off an old mason jar filled with some homemade lemonade.

I promise, you’ll both be glad you did!

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord.  They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.  It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit."