Happy Birthday, Son!
It is hard to imagine how quickly you have grown up. I still remember the day you were born 24 years ago like it was yesterday. I was actually telling the story to the office staff here the other day. I don't know if you've ever heard the story, so I will tell it to you now...
Mom's contractions were about 5 minutes apart when we decided we'd better head to the Princeton Medical Center to have her deliver you. Up until that night, you were a pretty normal pregnancy...you made Mom sick for 6 months, she got huge carrying you, and she was so skinny we could see your arms and legs move under her belly skin. It was like an alien was in her! But we argued over baby names. She wanted Timothy, and I wanted Fraser...that story you have heard.
When we got to the hospital, there was only one other couple giving birth in that whole maternity ward...we thought it was weird that they put us right across the hall from the other couple. We got Mom all tucked into the bed...our room had no TV, so I had to keep myself entertained by watching her monitor...I would tell her when I thought a contraction was coming...it is like a huge muscle cramp. She snapped at me that she was experiencing them personally and didn't need to know when they were coming or how big they were! That is the scientist in me, watching the data and making observations...haha. About an hour later we started hearing awful screams of agony coming from the other room. The poor birth mother was screaming at the top of her lungs. She must have been right in the middle of delivering her baby. Mom was getting terrified, and our nurses tried to calm her down. They closed our door, but you could still hear the blood-curdling yells. I guess the other father had had enough, and he yelled at his wife, "Dolores, shut up already!" I was dying to see who they were.
Your delivery was without too much drama, mostly pain endured by Mom, but when you popped out, you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! You had hair, your scrunched up face was all puffy from Mom pushing you out, and you were long. You were also covered in white, waxy stuff that we wiped off of you. I think it is to keep your skin from getting water logged sitting in Amniotic fluid for 9 months. After we wiped you off, you turned pink, and started to cry. Mom nursed you right away. She was tired from the labor, but she was smiling and crying at the same time. I got to weigh you, and wash you and then put you under the warming table. Mom slept, and I watched as they did all the testing they do on newborns...making sure you were a normal human baby. You passed all your tests, except your bilirubin count was a little high, meaning your liver function hadn't kicked in. I went home late that evening...poor Clipper was waiting for me. He hadn't been out all day, so I put him out. Mom gave me a little stocking hat that you wore to let him sniff it so he would recognize you when you came home later.
I went in early the next morning to check on you and Mom. I finally got to see Dolores and her husband! They were standing outside the nursery looking in on their baby through the glass (I think they named him Christopher, which was one of Mom's short list names for you). I was shocked to see Dolores...she was about 6'3" and weighed in at about 280. Her husband was my height and maybe 170 lbs. She was in a pink floral night gown and robe, but she was wearing lumberjack boots! She looked like a hillbilly! I kept wondering where they had come from because we were in Princeton, NJ. Then I saw why she was screaming during delivery. Her baby looked like a 2-year old! He was 15-1/2 lbs, and 28 inches long! The nurse attending to Mom said that this was her second baby. Her first one had the record for Princeton Medical Center...17 lbs and some ounces! Her kid barely fit in the bassinet in the nursery. You weren't a midget at nearly 9 lbs, but next to him, you looked like a preemie. Because there was already a "Christopher" in the nursery, Mom refused to name you that. She also didn't think you looked like a Timothy, so we named you, Jeffrey. Your middle name comes from your Grandpa Chuck. That is a tradition Mom and I started. Good thing we only have two kids, cause we ran out of Grandpas!
I think we took you home after the second night because your bilirubin count was high enough. They had a special meal for us that day after Valentine's Day because we missed celebrating while Mom delivered you. We had a steak and lobster dinner up in a private dining area. It was nice. We had good insurance back then, I think your whole hospital bill was about $6. I think Mom ordered a TV for her room, which cost $3 per day on our plan, or a phone in her room, I can't remember. Everything else was covered. I might have that figure wrong, but it was affordable, whatever the cost was. Ask Mom, I am sure she still has that hospital bill in her files...haha.
Our lives have never been the same. These 24 years have sped by. I can hardly believe that you are on your own, living in a different city, working, paying your own bills, etc. It is mind-numbing to think about it, but it happens to all of us. I have more appreciation for my parents and Mom's parents and what they went through raising and then letting us go. Just as I hope one day you will have an appreciation for us because you will be going through the same emotions as you see your kids grow up. That is a day I am looking forward to...when you become a Dad.
You are still my baby boy, and I have so many special memories of you growing up. I wish I could take you back to show you how cute and smart you really were. You had the best belly laugh as a kid. And boy, were you a talker!
Love,
Dad
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Road to Amarillo
Yes, it has been way too long. I have had inspiration to write, but no time. Then more stuff piles up on my "to write" list, and then I get overwhelmed. I need to catch up.
Last post was written while I was still doing the start-up thing. I was helping Not For Sale by starting up a beverage company that would throw 5% of all revenue back to the non-profit anti-slavery side of the organization. REBBL Tea (Roots, Extracts, Berries, Bark and Leaves) was the product, Headwaters Natural Products was the company. Two days after writing that post, I get a call from the chairman of the board...they want to make a change. I wasn't getting the product to market fast enough, they had doubts about securing funding and worst part, they didn't like the way that I wanted management to participate in that funding round. Okay, it was their company and all, so not much I could do. I was asked to resign, which I did. I pretty much guaranteed that they would get change with this move, but I didn't say it would be positive change. We were scheduled to launch the new tea in March, which is a month away from today. That in itself was a very high hurdle to set, but we were on schedule. I even had about $450,000 in funding secured...enough to get the first inventory of product produced. The board asked the VP of Product Innovation to be the interim CEO. I heard that the first thing he did was to delay the launch. Change that they can believe in...NOT. It was hard to hear that the job I was doing was not good enough, or what the board wanted. I believed I was doing what was best for the company. I thought I had learned my lesson...I told myself not to get involved in anything unless I had control, and I broke that rule...I only had 10% equity, not enough to control things. In hindsight, I should have not jumped in so quickly...as fast as NFS moves, they really don't think much through, or plan strategically. They work by "feel" and jump in with both feet. That should have been a warning to me. But I was excited about doing something cool and something worthwhile...something fulfilling.
I did feel weird, though. Here I was working full time for a non-profit that was not Christian Relief Fund...which I love. I was on the board for CRF, while working for NFS. I did feel like I was cheating on CRF. I know, I know that sounds weird, but it's true. So, after leaving Headwaters, I wanted to find something that would excite and fulfill me. I also wanted to just take a break and chill for a while because I was feeling burned out. It was near the holidays, so I thought I would just wait until the new year to look for a job.
I went to our end of the year board meeting in Amarillo, TX in November. It was mostly business as usual...the books looked great, the growth impressive, and best part, we were sponsoring more orphans and needy children and feeding thousands of refugees in Kenya and Haiti. Towards the end of the meeting, the president of CRF reported that two candidates had been offered the job of director of field operations, but for some strange reason both had turned it down. I was half listening, but when I heard that I looked at him and asked, "what job?" He repeated the job title, and I said, "Milt, I would do that!" I had been praying for a way to work at CRF for over 2 years. I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my working life. I love the organization, and I wanted to make a difference in the world. His reply, "Larry, you're joking, right?" I told him I was dead serious, and that it was something I had been praying about. He continued, "We could never pay you what you are used to making." He was trying to talk me out of it. At this point in my life, it isn't about the money. I could learn to live on less, make sacrifices, and not get caught up in things like title, salary, and lifestyle. I told him I wanted to be seriously considered for the job.
I still had people to convince...why would I want to move from Seattle to Amarillo for a third of what I would "normally" make? Luckily, my wife was not one of those doubters. She supports me without question. Her questions are more about my happiness and satisfaction. She would hate to move from Seattle, but she knows when I am serious.
She and I spent a long weekend in December in Amarillo interviewing, looking for an apartment, getting a feel for the culture. We will do the separation thing until our daughter finishes her studies at U-dub in 18 months. Our budget will be tight as we try to keep two households going, but we are game. I drove down to Amarillo the first week of January to start in my new position. It is challenging, exciting, and totally fulfilling. The stories I get to hear each day about lives that are changed are so amazing.
Amarillans are warm, hospitable, and genuinely friendly. The culture here is less diverse than Seattle; I describe it as a monocultural city. If you aren't Republican, it is best to keep quiet. Same goes if you don't like hunting, guns, BBQ, or country music. I wish I was kidding. I am finding my way around town and am looking for a place to worship. The number of churches astounds me after living in Seattle. I also found an Asian market that has 90% of what I would want. I find that to be a blessing.
My road to Amarillo has God's hands all over it. I have learned to trust in Him more and more. I am going to see where He takes me on this incredible journey of service and obedience. My life has changed so much since I promised to listen to the Holy Spirit more in my life as I make decisions. I'm just along for the ride.
Chow!
Last post was written while I was still doing the start-up thing. I was helping Not For Sale by starting up a beverage company that would throw 5% of all revenue back to the non-profit anti-slavery side of the organization. REBBL Tea (Roots, Extracts, Berries, Bark and Leaves) was the product, Headwaters Natural Products was the company. Two days after writing that post, I get a call from the chairman of the board...they want to make a change. I wasn't getting the product to market fast enough, they had doubts about securing funding and worst part, they didn't like the way that I wanted management to participate in that funding round. Okay, it was their company and all, so not much I could do. I was asked to resign, which I did. I pretty much guaranteed that they would get change with this move, but I didn't say it would be positive change. We were scheduled to launch the new tea in March, which is a month away from today. That in itself was a very high hurdle to set, but we were on schedule. I even had about $450,000 in funding secured...enough to get the first inventory of product produced. The board asked the VP of Product Innovation to be the interim CEO. I heard that the first thing he did was to delay the launch. Change that they can believe in...NOT. It was hard to hear that the job I was doing was not good enough, or what the board wanted. I believed I was doing what was best for the company. I thought I had learned my lesson...I told myself not to get involved in anything unless I had control, and I broke that rule...I only had 10% equity, not enough to control things. In hindsight, I should have not jumped in so quickly...as fast as NFS moves, they really don't think much through, or plan strategically. They work by "feel" and jump in with both feet. That should have been a warning to me. But I was excited about doing something cool and something worthwhile...something fulfilling.
I did feel weird, though. Here I was working full time for a non-profit that was not Christian Relief Fund...which I love. I was on the board for CRF, while working for NFS. I did feel like I was cheating on CRF. I know, I know that sounds weird, but it's true. So, after leaving Headwaters, I wanted to find something that would excite and fulfill me. I also wanted to just take a break and chill for a while because I was feeling burned out. It was near the holidays, so I thought I would just wait until the new year to look for a job.
I went to our end of the year board meeting in Amarillo, TX in November. It was mostly business as usual...the books looked great, the growth impressive, and best part, we were sponsoring more orphans and needy children and feeding thousands of refugees in Kenya and Haiti. Towards the end of the meeting, the president of CRF reported that two candidates had been offered the job of director of field operations, but for some strange reason both had turned it down. I was half listening, but when I heard that I looked at him and asked, "what job?" He repeated the job title, and I said, "Milt, I would do that!" I had been praying for a way to work at CRF for over 2 years. I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my working life. I love the organization, and I wanted to make a difference in the world. His reply, "Larry, you're joking, right?" I told him I was dead serious, and that it was something I had been praying about. He continued, "We could never pay you what you are used to making." He was trying to talk me out of it. At this point in my life, it isn't about the money. I could learn to live on less, make sacrifices, and not get caught up in things like title, salary, and lifestyle. I told him I wanted to be seriously considered for the job.
I still had people to convince...why would I want to move from Seattle to Amarillo for a third of what I would "normally" make? Luckily, my wife was not one of those doubters. She supports me without question. Her questions are more about my happiness and satisfaction. She would hate to move from Seattle, but she knows when I am serious.
She and I spent a long weekend in December in Amarillo interviewing, looking for an apartment, getting a feel for the culture. We will do the separation thing until our daughter finishes her studies at U-dub in 18 months. Our budget will be tight as we try to keep two households going, but we are game. I drove down to Amarillo the first week of January to start in my new position. It is challenging, exciting, and totally fulfilling. The stories I get to hear each day about lives that are changed are so amazing.
Amarillans are warm, hospitable, and genuinely friendly. The culture here is less diverse than Seattle; I describe it as a monocultural city. If you aren't Republican, it is best to keep quiet. Same goes if you don't like hunting, guns, BBQ, or country music. I wish I was kidding. I am finding my way around town and am looking for a place to worship. The number of churches astounds me after living in Seattle. I also found an Asian market that has 90% of what I would want. I find that to be a blessing.
My road to Amarillo has God's hands all over it. I have learned to trust in Him more and more. I am going to see where He takes me on this incredible journey of service and obedience. My life has changed so much since I promised to listen to the Holy Spirit more in my life as I make decisions. I'm just along for the ride.
Chow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
