When my mother and dad divorced I was barely 3 years old, and Uncle Bud and my Grandfather dramatically stepped up and into my life, bringing stability and nurture in a way that would basically set the course for the entirety of my life.
Because of those men, I learned to love people regardless of their color, or how much money they had or where they lived. Through those men I learned to hug and kiss and say "I love you." By the way they lived their lives I learned about God, and how to care for others, and how to just love life!
My Uncle Bud took me to his baseball games (even getting me my own team uniform and baseball glove). He built homemade kites with torn up old t-shirts for tails, and we would fly them on Saturday mornings. At night he and my grandfather would sit with me on the porch as we listened to the doves cooing and calling from the elm trees. He said they were telling each other goodnight... "Good night momma dove. Good night daddy dove. Good night Mikey dove." I so treasured those moments.
Several years ago I found some letters in my mother's things after she passed away. A few of them were from my Uncle Bud when he was away in the Army. In his writings he always asked about his family (including me), and he always expressed his "I love you's" over and over. He often spoke of his church, and his faith, thanking God for taking such good care of him and for giving him such a beautiful family. He truly was...the real deal!
I could go on and on I suppose, but the reason for this writing is to simply just remind us of the importance of the "little things" in building our legacy. The times we have with family and friends...the opportunities we have to express grace and unconditional love...the blessings that we enjoy, and that we then give away to others...all of it is SO significant! AND....all of it is so brief. Doesn't it pass by so quickly?
So take advantage of every moment, will you? Don't dismiss those "small things." Leave a legacy that your family and friends will (with much thankfulness and joy) talk about and relive over and over again, long after you leave this planet. My Uncle Bud did that...and I will be forever grateful that he did!
