~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
 LIVING HAPPY     
UPLIFTING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING NEWS FOR OUR MIND, BODY,AND SPIRIT   

From Carole Kane


  Vol. 3  No. 6                                           June 16, 2013 

~~~~~~~~~~                 

 

Click here to meet our writers, read past issues, and see comments

 www.livinghappycenter.com  

 

in this issue
Parents and Children - by Carole Kane
"Clifford is Blowing the Hell Out of That Boat!" - By Clifford De Pass
Fathers Day Musings - by Dr. Brad Holway
Our Past, Our History - by Dimitra Savvidou
Think a little, laugh a little
Your space - for guest writers, ghost writers, and commentators

 

                     Dear Friends,

carole jan 13 13
Carole Kane, MA, NCC 

 

Welcome to Living Happy,  a nice way to feel and be our best! 
Living Happy is  about good, interesting, and fun things for everyone.

First up this week is  my article, "Parents and Children", examining how we relate to our parents.  Are we Number One or Number Two?

Then, Clifford De Pass tells of a little visit from Heaven, so appropriate for this Fathers Day, in "Clifford Is Blowing The Hell Out of That Boat!"  How can anyone resist THAT title!

Next Brad Holway remembers his two grandfathers, in "Fathers Day Musings".  He doesn't think his grandfathers had any influence on him, but I'm not so sure that's possible.  What do you think?

Then, Dimitra Savvidou brings it all together in her thought-provoking article, "Our Past - Our History".  Once again, Dimitra brings us some very good advice.  (After all, she is a counselor!)

Enjoy the silly jokes and the cartoon.

And to all you Fathers and Big Brothers and Father-Figures:  Happy Fathers Day!  Thank you for all you do for your children!

As always, we invite your comments about Living Happy. Just click here:  comments  and talk to us.    

 

Happy reading!

 

Love, Carole XXX OOO

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 

Parents and Children                                                       by Carole Kane

         

Once upon a time there were a mom and dad  who gave up many of their own dreams to make sure that their children had as much as they could possibly give them - a comfortable home, clothing, toys, education, special trips and lessons.  They guided them and tried to pass on their values and beliefs, and when the children began their own lives as adults, the parents helped them out with babysitting, financial backup, and advice when asked.

 

With their children now grown, the mom and dad also continued to grow - volunteering, learning new skills, rising in careers, working and saving for the future.  Eventually they reached their seventies and eighties, with a lifetime of accomplishments and valuable experiences to share.  Their home reflected their life over the years - cherished furniture and collectibles that they described as "old friends."  And they were comfortable there.

   

One day their First Child visits.  "Where are the grandkids,?" the old woman asks.  "I love seeing them."  First Child says, "Oh, you know teenagers!  They have their own things to do.  We couldn't convince them to come."  After cookies and coffee, First Child tells the old people, "I noticed the shed is still filled with all that junk - and so is the house.  I've told you over and over you have to start getting rid of it.  And, Mom, stop eating so many cookies!  I don't want you to get sick!".....

 

A week later, Second Child comes to visit, along with Spouse and all their children.  As everyone hugs each other, Second Child smiles and says, "I love coming here!  I love the old furniture and things.  It reminds me of all the good times we had growing up here."  One of the teen-agers smiles between big mouthfuls of cake and says, "Grandpa - Mom says that you won a hula contest on your honeymoon - did you really??  And Grandma, I didn't know you got two college scholarships .  I hope I can win one!"  The old couple sigh contentedly, and spend a happy few hours laughing, telling old stories, and basking in their family's love.

 

So - Are you First Child?  Do you feel you must tell your elderly parents how they should live?  Do you feel you know better than they do?  Do you think this is "for their own good"?

 

Or are you Second Child?  Do you cherish them for who they really are?  Do you offer help without dictating what they must do?  Are you proud of them and what they've accomplished in life?  Do you tell this to your own children?

 

If you are still fortunate enough to have one or both parents, even if they are forgetting things lately, or their health is deteriorating, or they are widowed or otherwise alone, they are still the wonderful people who gave their all to make you the person you are today.  Why not tell them how much they mean to you!

 

reprinted from Vol. 1 Number 10  April 3, 2011 

     

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Clifford is Blowing  the Hell Out of That Boat"     by Clifford De Pass

 

My father's name was the same as mine - Clifford.  He died when I was twelve years old.

 

Not long afterwards, my younger brother, Reggie, who was a Cub Scout, entered a sailboat contest sponsored by the Boy Scouts Club.  We lived in St. Albans, Queens, in New York City.  One of our neighbors across the street was a brilliant man who loved making things, and he helped make my brother's sailboat, along with some help from Vic's Hobby Shop.

 

The contest took place at the Baisley Park Pond.   Among the spectators was my sister's godfather, Mr. Campbell.

lily pads Baisley Park Queens ny
Baisley Park Pond - Lily Pads 
St. Albans, Queens, NY 

During the race, Reggie's boat got stuck in patch of lily pads and the other boats built up what seemed like an impossible lead.  Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew my brother's boat free from the lily pads.   Mr. Campbell, who never cursed, hollered, "Clifford is blowing the hell out of that boat!" (referring to my deceased father).

 

My brother's sailboat proceeded to miraculously catch up, and then pass the other boats, and it came in first in the sailboat race.

  Sailboat Clifford De Pass

Thank you Dad, Father, for being there even when you were not there, but up in Heaven.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 
Fathers Day Musings                                      By Dr. Brad Holway

 

Last year I wrote about my late father.  This year, for some reason, I have been thinking about my grandfathers.  I remember them quite well; both lived into my late teens.  You could hardly imagine two men more different.

 

 My paternal grandfather was thin and bespectacled.  I remember him as a pleasant guy but I don't recall him ever telling a joke or having much of a sense of humor.  He was staid and serious.  He called me "Skipper"; I think it was because I had a sailor suit when I was a little boy.  He let my grandmother, who was a little red-headed spitfire, call the shots at home.  He never yelled or cursed; he was always soft-spoken in my presence.  I remember him being fond of dogs.

 cartoon man with cigar

My mother's father had a handsome face but was quite rotund.  He was a big drinker with a hearty laugh.  Two fingers of his right hand were stained dark from smoking Casbahs, a filterless cigarette made from black Algerian tobacco.  They don't make Casbahs anymore, and they don't make many guys like him either.  He wore rings, broad-brimmed hats and expensive clothes.  Nobody would have described him as a "fat slob" despite his corpulence; he was the type you'd call "a portly gentleman".  He fancied himself quite the ladies' man and always had girlfriends who were twenty or more years his junior.  He reminded me a bit of Teddy Kennedy.

 

My grandfathers were like night and day.  Neither had much of an influence on me, but their memories are still vivid in my mind, especially as Fathers' Day approaches.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     

OUR PAST, OUR HISTORY                          By Dimitra Savvidou

 

"If we celebrate the years behind us, they become stepping-stones of strength and joy for the years ahead". - Anonymous

 

We all carry our own past as well as the past of our family, the past of our nation, the past of our civilization; we bear collective memories within our own blood.

 

We are born within a specific period of history but we still carry the previous history and are responsible for the future history. We will die during another instant of history. Our start and end are certain. The question is: what do we do in the meantime?

 

Whatever our past is, we need to celebrate it, remembering the creative moments and learning from the difficulties and challenges, even from moments of sadness.  I am in my fifties, and I listen to my generation quoting the greatness of life twenty or thirty years ago. I am amused!

 

I recall when in my twenties, my parents' generation declaring that life was grand when they were young! The true fact is that when we were twenty years old, life was not good - in our own eyes - and that's why we had to save the world! But we forget...

 

We live our small life span thinking that we are the axis of the earth. We are self-absorbed, self-centered, and we think that this moment of history is the most important or the most dangerous, the most creative, the scariest.   But wait a moment!   Remember:   

 

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." - Book of Ecclesiastes

 

No need to get panicked. Let's look at the past and search for a solution, in the knowledge we have accumulated through the past, through the history, or just get inspired by it.

 

Let's celebrate the years behind us, remember what we learned. Let's allow all to become stepping-stones for a better future.   

 

Dimitra Savvidou
      Writing, Teaching, Counselling  

       

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Think a Little, Laugh a Little  

Jake: What does your father do for a living? 
Matt: He's a magician. He performs tricks, like sawing people in half. 
Jake: Do you have any brothers or sisters? 
Matt: Yep, four half-sisters and a half-brother
~~~~   
 
Two bees met in a field. One said to the other, "The weather has been cold, wet and damp, and there aren't any flowers, so I can't make honey."
   

"No problem," said the first bee, "Just fly down five blocks and turn left. There's a Bar Mitzvah going on and there are all kinds of fresh flowers and fresh fruit."

   
"Thanks for the tip," said the second bee, and flew away.

 

A few hours later the two bees ran into each other again.  

The first bee asked, "How did it go?"

"Great!" said the second bee. "There was plenty of fruit and, oh, such huge floral arrangements on every table."

"Uh, what's that thing on your head?" asked the first bee.

 

"That's my yarmulke," said the second bee.   

"I didn't want them to think I was a wasp."

                                                contributed by Brad Holway 

~~~~

Remember This
:
 
Dad, you're someone to look up to 
 no matter how tall I've grown.
- - Author Unknown 
~~~~~ 
 My father gave me the greatest gift 
 anyone could give another person 
 he believed in me.
- - Jim Valvano
~~~~~ 
 "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged
 to find ways in which you yourself have altered." 
  - - Nelson Mandela  
quotation contributed by Al Moffitt 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Your Space - For Guest Writers, Ghost Writers, and Commentators

 

THANK YOU! to Clifford De Pass, Brad Holway, and Dimitra Savvidou for your wonderful and inspiring contributions this week.   And Al Moffitt, thanks for the quotation by Nelson Mandela. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Would you like to submit an article, around 250 to 300 words?  Do you have a comment about the newsletter?  

     

This Could  be YOU!

Just click here to get started:  Submit an article, poem, or comment   

I look forward to  hearing from you and to reading your work!   

  - - Carole - - 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Join Our Mailing List