That’s all I needed to hear. It turns out that gratitude from a single grandchild trumps the ridicule of any number of critics. With this in mind, I now pass on my granddaughter’s (and my own) thanks to today’s guardians—from front-line leathernecks, to keyboard warriors—who all deserve kudos. All play an important role in keeping us safe. So, thanks to all of you heroes out there who, when the call to serve came, eagerly answered, “You can count on me!”

We do, every single day. – Kerry Patterson

With Memorial Day weekend this weekend I got a newsletter email with the lines above at the end.

That last line really stuck out.

We do, every single day.

We count on those in the armed forces, every day.

We count on them in ways we will never understand.

They give to us in ways we will never be able to repay.

Maybe I’m just getting sappy in my old age, but with each holiday that passes to remember or celebrate those who serve I become more and more aware of just how lucky most of us are.

Evil does exist. And there are men and women who stand between us and that evil.

They do so and continue to do so despite the fact that it comes at an enormous personal cost.

I doubt any of them are thinking of Jake Davis and his little family in Chenoa, IL, but they go out there for us, every day. They do the same for you.

I think it is more than being thankful, though.

To be sure, we should be thankful.

But we should do more than that. We should make the most of the opportunity they have given us. The freedom to choose our path in this world.

We have been given a tremendous gift, not to use it wisely would be unfortunate.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with." – Mark Twain

Joy is best when shared.

This quote reminded me how lucky I am to have so many in my life to share my joys with.

But it also challenged me to be that person for others.

Look out for opportunities to share the joy of others.

Look out for opportunities to cheer them on.

Look out for opportunities to celebrate their victories.

Let’s do our best to help other get the full value from the joys in their lives.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you want to be loved, be lovable. – Ovid

And be loving.

We all desire to be loved.

As with a lot of our desires in life, being loved is not something that can be forced on the world through sheer will.

It must be pursued through loving and becoming more lovable.

What could you do to be more loving?

What could you do to become more lovable?

What does loving more look like?

What does being more lovable look like?

Make it a great day.

Jake

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Monday morning reminder.

In order to find, we must look.

We must actively work towards finding what we desire for our lives.

It doesn’t just come to us.

We must find the relevant information.

We must ask others who might know where it is.

What are you looking for?

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU

I made sure to send the sing a long version so you could belt it out.

Several conversations around the office lately have led to Jamie playing this song for someone (not going to name names).

We all can hold on to things we shouldn’t.

We hang on, hoping to control things that are out of our control.

We hang on to hurt feelings, expecting someone else to see or feel the same way we do.

At some point, we have to “let it go”.

We have to move forward and grow past it.

If something comes to mind while the song plays, make the effort to work on it. Make peace and move forward.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"Our lives improve only when we take chances and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves." – W Anderson

This quote reminded me of the chance we all take any time we spend a few moments to try to understand ourselves.

Each time is a chance that we won’t like what we see.

Spoiler alert for all of you out there: as with other areas of life, if you seek, you will find.

There is a least one part of yourself that you will want to improve if you take an honest look in the mirror.

But it’s worth taking the risk.

Only when we better understand ourselves do we get the opportunity to change.

All the good stuff you don’t have today but want for tomorrow is on the other side of some kind of change.

The only way to get there is to start by taking a look in the mirror.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“You can’t talk your way out of problems you behave yourself into.” – Stephen Covey

There is no substitute for action.

We can’t positive think ourselves into success, it requires action.

We can’t talk our way into a better relationship, it requires action.

We can’t read ourselves into solved problems, it requires action.

Be honest with yourself, are you waiting on something when you should be acting on something?

Do you need to put aside the excuses and get to work?

Make it a great day.

Jake

In one of the interviews of Jim Rohn they asked him what his best advice would be on parenting.

He said something like “if the parents are ok, the kids usually turn out ok.”

The point was that the best way for parents to influence their children was through their own development.

The mental picture I have is of “pouring into”. We can best pour into others when our cup is overflowing.

When we give all that is in our cup, we have no more to give.

When we fill our cup each day, we can give and give and give.

I think the same thing goes for all our relationships.

Want to be a good coworker? Fill yourself with positivity and skills that can help those around you.

Want to be a good friend? Be that person who is full of life that others want to be around.

Think about an important relationship in your life.

What might you do to fill your cup up more so that you can pour into that relationship more?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Below is an excerpt from Band of Brothers.

It is an amazing story about an amazing group of men.

This story stuck out to me because it shows how difficult battle and war can be for a person, but that hope and love can always win out.

Let’s be thankful for the service of others and spread hope and love wherever we can.

Make it a great day.

Jake

From Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose –

Sgt. Skinny Sisk also had a hard time shaking his war memories. In July 1991, he wrote Winters to explain. "My career after the war was trying to drink away the truckload of Krauts that I had stopped in Holland and the die-hard Nazi that I went up into the Bavarian Alps and killed. Old Moe Alley made a statement that all the killings that I did was going to jump into the bed with me one of these days and they surely did. I had a lot of flash backs after the war and started drinking. Ha! Ha!

Then my sister’s little daughter, four-years old, came into my bedroom (I was too unbearable to the rest of the family, either hung over or drunk) and she told me that Jesus loved me and she loved me and if I would repent God would forgive me for all the men I kept trying to kill all over again.

That little girl got to me. I put her out of my room, told her to go to her mommy. There and then I bowed my head on my mother’s old feather bed and repented and God forgave me for the war and all the other bad things I had done down through the years. I was ordained in the latter part of 1949 into the ministry and believe me, Dick, I haven’t whipped but one man since and he needed it. I have four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

The Lord willing and Jesus tarrys and I hope to see you all at the next reunion. If not I’ll see you on the last jump. I know you won’t freeze in the door.

https://youtu.be/iPUmE-tne5U

As the calendar moves forward, the mornings get sunnier and sunnier.

The last few mornings walking Annie to school have been particularly sunny.

Sun and sunshine are good for the soul.

Make an effort to get outside a little over the weekend.

Make it a great day.

Jake