A Father's Legacy

The rain finally cleared by around 3pm today. Emily just couldn’t wait to get to the beach this year.

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I had a nice day today going to the city. I started out at 5:38 am heading to NY. I was on a mission to distribute 54 shirts for a philanthropy event that I am coordinating for work.

Do you know how to carry 54 shirts on a train? I figured it out at 9pm the night before at Sports Authority. Me, Nike and some rubber bands worked it out with a duffle bag. I bought a big bag and it was a tight squeeze.

I wound up in a borrowed office around 7:15 am at Ave of the Americas NYC.  I met some 50 people and talked to them about the community center in Harlem we are going to be revitalizing next week. This is an event I have been lucky enough to coordinate for my colleagues and senior managers at work.

The image below is of the fountain in front of the Time Life building at noon today. It was beau…ti…ful today in the city.

After my ½ day at Ave of the Americas I headed to our headquarters on 7^th Ave. That building rocks flat panels plasmas all over the place. I met the head of philanthropy for the Americas. I gave her my elevator pitch..”I’m here for ya….” I hope to meet up again with her during the summer to coordinate another event in the fall.

After the headquarters I took a taxi across town to Park Ave. The last office was located near Grand Central stating. 35 T-shirts lighter I was moving fast. Funny thing I never really hailed a taxi in the city in the middle of the day. What can I say it’s not enough to waive your hand…..its all in “Location Location Location…” After about 10 minutes I finally managed to hail one.

One dirty water dog and a Snapple later I was at Park ave. This office had the most senior managers in it. However Friday in the city….only us working stiffs are around after 12 noon. Oh well. I will be personally greeting each of them on Tuesday and they will get to hear my pitch then…… I really hope to drill home the importance of what we are doing. It should be good…. Stay tuned..

So heading home I successfully navigated my way across and downtown on the subway. I took the 7 to the 1,2, & the 3. I really took the 2, but they call it the 1,2 and the 3. It must sound cooler than it reads. Once I got to Penn Station good old NJ Transit was close by. So an air conditioned leather seat for a weary traveler and his diet coke and pretzls.

So now…new laptop, internet connection via my new blackberry… and the magic of the internet I am posting it all online on the way home.

In retrospect I had a great day. Leaving this morning I kissed my wife, kids and dog goodbye. I don’t usually do that. But given the state of political affairs you never know if you are coming out of the city? Not really but hell I walked down from the trade center before it collapsed. So given that they found a vehicle bomb this past weekend, “YA never know.”

Now I will say mid-day there was a report of a package found in Times Square. Bomb squad and all deployed. Yeah….I was right there…Nice. It was just a cooler with some water in it. Ba Boom Baby! Anyway I was writing my wife all day so just in case she heard something on the news she would know I was safe.

Anyway if a plane didn’t get me and cancer was beat back how does an unmarked package in NYC have a shot? “Ha….!”

I talked to one of my colleagues about it mid-day. We both agreed if our number is up….aint nothing much we can do about it right? I tell you post 9/11 I really appreciate our police force and military. They truly are the unsung heroes. I love to seem them deployed in the city looking at everything and everyone.

But serious stuff aside I was real happy to be sharing time with so many people and touching each of them somehow. It’s very empowering. Plus being in a fat office or two didn’t hurt! Yah…..

Enough for now.

A Father

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Emily displayed at the science fair today. She demonstrated how tapping on the top of a fish bowl brought the fish to the top of the bowl to eat.

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This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, ‘Smile.’

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch… an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible ‘dirty body’ smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was ’smiling’ His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance…..

He said, ‘Good day’ as he counted the few coins he had been clutching..

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, ‘Coffee is all Miss’ because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it – the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand..

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Thank you.’

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, ‘I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.’

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son… When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in ‘my project’ and the instructor read it.   Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Can I share this?’

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.   She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS – NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

There is an Angel sent to watch over you. In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over.

An Angel wrote: Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.

Anonymous

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I attended the Immaculate Conception Church today in Hackensack NJ. You can view their website here: http://www.icchackensack.org/

I have been to the church one or two other times with my Mother in-law Gina. I happened to be passing by today on my way to her house when I noticed that they had a 12 noon Mass. It was 11:55 am and I hadn’t made it to mass today.

I spent my morning going to Randall’s island athletic fields to watch my son play soccer. I was scheduled to go to my in-laws house for lunch at the conclusion of the game. My plans for church had been squashed by the day. However, the game ended a little early and we made it to Gina’s house very quickly. As we passed the church I asked my wife to drop me off so I could attend. She agreed to drop the kids off and go to mass with me.

As we walked into Church the priest and the parishioners were extending their hand to welcome all those who were in Church for that service. It was quite unusual but it kind of let us slip in a few minutes late unnoticed.

As Mass progressed I heard what sounded faintly like a trumpet playing over top of the piano. I was excited to see a trumpet player accompanying a piano player and singer. The music was truly joyful.

I pointed out the trumpet player to my wife and she too was interested in the sounds coming from the trumpet. She had been moved to tears by the Mass and the sounds from the band.

As service progressed the trumpet player played and let the spirit move him to improvise over the melody of the song. It was like being in a Jazz club but it was in the middle of Sunday Mass. Truly inspiring.

With my quest to meet and touch as many people as possible I had it in my mind to talk to the trumpet player at the conclusion of Mass.

As the parishioners left, I approached the man with the horn and introduced myself. I told him how impressed I was with his virtuosity of his instrument. He told me that he was a Jazz musician by night and came to Church to play during Sunday Mass. He let me know that he was moved by the congregation at the Immaculate Conception Church and he loved being a part of such a dynamic group.

We talked briefly and I had my wife snap a picture of Bob Leivy and myself. I hope that we run into each other again. I would love to talk more with him and hear about his story.

You can see more about his band the “Wooster St. Trolley Jazz Band” here:

http://woostersttrolley.com/

A Father

Two Cool Cats

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Leslie,

Thank you for thinking of me by sending me the email entitled “Breakfast at McDonald’s.” It is truly an inspiring story and a true sign of God working in each one of us. I know firsthand that you are truly a great person who is an instrument of our Lord by doing the work that you do. I know there were many days for me that a simple smile made me feel better when I was sick. A smile really does go a long way.

In the past two years I have had a realization about my life. Today at Mass the priest asked us to reflect on moments that we have experienced God in our lives. He asked us to reflect on moments that we saw God. It’s a funny thing to think about but in the last two years I have met many people who have been brightened up by a simple smile like I was. I asked myself, is that God working in my life?

Last month I met a man on the path train. I happened to leave work early that day and was on a train bound for Newark Penn Station when a man named David entered the train at Journal Square. David was using a walker. Now handicap people on the path train are a rarity. But, I knew David entered that train that day and walked into my life for a reason.

I smiled at David, and struck up a conversation with him. At first he was reluctant to talk to me. He seemed a little down. As we began to discuss his day, he told me that he had just come from the Doctor in NYC and was scheduled for a back operation. The operation if performed successfully would take away all the pain that he has been having in his back that causes him to use his walker. He explained to me that he was praying for a miracle.
You see he believed in miracles because one other time in his life he was sick with bad bronchitis that bordered on pneumonia. At the time he was living in Brazil and he could not receive the medical treatment that he needed to get well. After a Dr visit he went to the church to pray for his health. While he was there he saw what he believed to be an angel. This apparition had great spiritual meaning to him.

In the days that followed David was healed of his bronchitis. He attributed this to God and the visit of his Angel in the church.
Needless to say I was moved by his story. It was then that I told him of my miracle, the miracle of life that I have been granted for the past two years. He too was moved by my story. I told David that maybe I was his Angel this time. Maybe God sent him to me, to remember the miracle that we are all a witness to every day that we have life.

I pray for David daily and many more people that God has sent to me over the past two years. People who have just needed a smile or a word of encouragement or maybe “Breakfast at McDonalds.”
Thanks for your uplifting story.
A Father

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I went over to see my friends at The Madonna House tonight and look what I saw!

I screamed AHHHHHHHH……. What happened?

The Madonna House decided to undertake an Extreme Makeover of their thrift store without the help of Tye Pennington. Needless to say you can see what happened.

The Madonna House in Neptune needs help in re-opening their thrift store. This is your opportunity to make a difference.

This weekend starting Saturday 03/06/2010 at 10am and Sunday03/07/2010 at 12 noon.

The Madonna House needs volunteers who can:

1. Organize and setup displays

2. Clean

3. Move Small Items

4. Move Large Items

5. Handyman work – i.e. Hang Shelves, Change Light Bulbs, Light Carpentry

Location:

501 State Rte 35

Neptune, NJ 07753

This is at the corner of 7th Ave and Hwy 35 in Neptune.

Show up and help out. If you would like to call you can reach Linda or Rebecca they will be coordinating the efforts.

Linda (267)-230-2038

Rebecca (848) 469 0102

A Father

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Triumphant is how a survivor feels everyday that they are alive.

Everyday that I have survived, knowing that I beat Cancer, I feel triumphant.

From the mind of a survivor Cancer sucks, and beating it….. feels like… “Rocky I” when Rocky gets up the last time, in the last round battling Apollo Creed!

It’s triumphant!   (The music echo’s in my mind.)

My story today is one of happiness. This week is my two year anniversary of beating Cancer. I am one of the lucky ones. Over 550,000 people are defeated by Cancer each year in America. That’s 1500 people a day.

Cancer Sucks.

Cancer is the number 2 leading cause of death in the United States. It’s scary to think that in most cases they don’t know what causes Cancer. In my case I survived despite being close to death.

Below is an image of me at the start of my four months of intensive treatment. In this picture I had lost the ability to see straight without using an eye patch.

But, Cancer is just another part of my journey and part that I am happy to say I beat. It’s not to say that I am not scared, scared of becoming sick, afraid, afraid of being judged, or worst of all not living my New Found Life to the fullest. But in my life it’s merely one more thing that I have been Triumphant over.

Last year I realized that I am truly here for more than myself. I believe I am here to serve as a Testament to the fact that anything in life is possible. I know that I am here by the Grace of God for a bigger purpose. And that purpose is to inspire, to share and to offer myself to everyone around me.

This morning I got a call from The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation.

The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation needs our help getting people to their Annual Charity Ball. Since I have realized that I am here for more than myself, I said yes to help out. Today I am asking you to be inspired by my story and help the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation by purchasing a ticket to their Annual Charity Ball.

With the economy as it is we have all been changed our spending habits. And if you couple the tough economic times with a natural disaster of biblical proportions in Haiti you understand how hard it can be on a smaller charity. This year The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation is having difficulty getting people to their Annual Charity Ball. It’s easy to see why in the times that we are living in.

Now, let me tell you the story of Billy. Billy Traphaen like me was Triumphant in his battle with Cancer.

He was 12 years old when he faced Cancer. Yeah you read it right Cancer at 12. Now If you are a parent like me or an Aunt / Uncle you understand how incredibly hard that could be to face. I am crying just thinking about it.
A 12 year old boy with Cancer….

Cancer sucks!

But, like me Billy Triumphed! He has triumphed everyday in his life for the past 12 years. He is now a young man in his mid twenties living his life to the fullest. The incredible part of Billy’s story is he was expected to be blind if he survived at all.

Triumphant!

Billy and his family were helped by The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation those many years ago. The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation provides physiological support, tactical support, food, and merchandise for a family battling Cancer.

In our Rocky Analogy above The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation is like Mickey, the corner guy, the organization that goes into a family and says “Get in their kid…you can beat this!” And in Billy’s case they helped him become Triumphant!

My ask of you today is this, help the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation in their annual fund raising efforts a small donation goes a long way to a family in need:  -> General Fund Donation Page

Join me in helping another Cancer patient become Triumphant in the battle for their life.
Support the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation.

A Father

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In a snowy manager from NJ Jesus Christ our savior is born!

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Since 1987 the Madonna House has been collecting clothing, toys and money to give to the poorest among us. This Christmas Eve the Madonna House does not have enough toys to give to children who are in need.

Recipient of a Christmas Present from the Madonna House

Christmas is for kids and my children are fortunate enough to have gifts under their tree this year. So tonight I asked my daughter Emily “If you knew there was a little boy or girl who would have no gifts under their Christmas tree would you give them one of yours?” She replied yes Daddy I would. It brought a tear to my eye.

Gifts Emily Thought a Little Girl Would Like

My request to you is simple if you think your son or daughter would help out another child please take a new toy of yours to The Madonna House today.

The Madonna House is open on Wednesday December 24th from 10am until 2pm. They need any gifts that you can provide to make the dream of another child come true.

They are located at:
501 State Rte 35, Neptune, NJ‎ – (732) 775-1140

Read about their mission here:
http://www.themadonnahouseinc.org/

Merry Christmas

A Father

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