Its Christmas morning. December 25, 2011. Disclaimer- I am a Christian, and I say Merry Christmas! It does not mean disrespect to my non-Christian friends. It is simply what I believe.
Today, I am very grateful for the gifts I have received; not those under the tree this chilly sunlight Utah morning, but those that came from long ago.
I am thankful for my parents, Harry and Sylvia Hartman, who gave me my existence. They made choices, and I am here today because of choices they made. From my father and mother, I learned the example of hard work, and the result of honest labor. I also learned how to raise children, for which I am ever thankful. Let us remember that every person needs the freedom to make choices, and let us strive to allow that freedom of choice.
My grandmother, Mildred Hunter, who worked so diligently to teach me manners, reading, and math. “No, Robert, a gentleman always opens the door for a woman. He never goes first.”
“There is an interesting article in Readers Digest on (subject). Why don’t you read it, then we will discuss it.” Her living room table contained Time, Newsweek, Readers Digest, U.S. News and World Reports, Arizona, and Family Circle. Talk about diversity!. Numerous games of dominoes and cards; “You have to keep score, my arthritis is hurting me.” Then, after the games were done, she picked up her crotchet needles..you get the picture. Grandmother-never Grandma or (Heaven forbid) Mildred-adults are not addressed by their first name- spent countless hours educating me. But then, what would you expect from someone who taught school in a 1-room schoolhouse in Emporia, Kansas? Rest in Peace, Grandmother; you earned it. May we as a country remember and reward those who educate our children. They are the first line of defense in the “War on Poverty.” Indeed, educators are the first defense in the war on War.
My best friend, Billy, who taught me that friendship knows not the boundaries of fame or family fortune. Hours of bike rides, marbles, Scouting, rockets, and dreams. Hot rods, Air Force planes, and cold beer. He was always there for me, at times when my life seemed to be overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. Great loss, great gains; sadly, he died of cancer at too young a point in his life. Why can America conduct wars against people who never hurt us, and yet deny funding for cancer research?
The good Reverend Morale, who strived to create some peace and understanding in a young man torn by the war in Vietnam. A retired man who had been a cleric in the Korean war, he drove 50 miles each way to be in the pulpit on Sunday mornings in Beulah. He was truly a “Man of God”; he could, and did, speak well about the trials of mankind, and of the peace of God. I never heard him speak in anger, or in mistrust; he reached out to help his congregation, and the community at large. Even after he retired from this work, I could talk to him, seek his counsel, and feel better for it. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he could tap a keg of beer (and showed Mom and I how to do it). From the dogs of war, come men of peace. May the youth of today be coached by people like this gentle man.
Mickey and Elaine Neelan, and John Scott; all taught me how to work in a kitchen, how to not only cook but how to create food. In doing this, they also taught me many other lessons. Mickey and Elaine helped my sister and I through some ugly times; gave us good work, good pay, a safe haven, and most importantly, good examples. Wonderful examples of good people, good employers, who knew the job we were doing at the time was not what we would grow up to do, rather, they demanded we keep up with our education; that we understood a waitress or a dishwasher was not a life-long employment. “Scotty”, John Scott, taught me to prepare not just food, but an experience of eating, the total environment of taste and refinement. Every time I prepare a dinner or event, I am giving thanks for these wonderful examples in my life; an example I try to emulate to those surrounding me.
I am very thankful for my sister, who overcame her childhood to become an amazing teacher, parent, and friend. While she does not willingly talk about the ugliness and the poverty we knew and faced, she is an example of what a person can do when they set their mind to it. If ever a book is written about the Great American Dream, certainly several chapters should be written about her; her drive, her determination, and her ability to hold my hand in the dark hours.
On this bright, sunny day, I give thanks for my very existence and for the many people in my life, and there will always be a special place in my heart and life for the people I have mentioned here. Today, and every day that follows, when you have a special person who has uplifted and promoted you, be sure to thank and acknowledge them.
Merry Christmas! May God Bless and keep you! To my friends who read this, I thank you for allowing me to be in your lives. May this day be all, and more, than you desire. May the days that come be even greater than we expect!
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