In 1975 the doors to Charlton Methodist hospital of Dallas opened. For 34 years this hospital has seen many prestigious doctors, nurses and support staff come and go from it's doors. My dad was one of them. In 2003 they offered my dad a great position heading the Central Service department. His department was responsible for sterilizing surgical equipment and having it to the correct room for surgery. My dad had several employees under him, but he treated them all as friends. He organized to have cookies and punch brought in every Wednesday to boost moral. He picked up employees on snow days and even drove to their home just to start their lawn mower (that he gave them) on more than one occasion. He found a way to get a much needed baby bed and supplies to an employee that had no way to afford such luxuries. The kicker was that he never said a word about doing such things. We only found this stuff out after he had gone. People wrote us letters and came to visit with these stories. The week he passed away, we got word from the hospital that they wanted to plant a tree in his honor in the front main entrance. Wow. Looking back on all the big fancy doctors that must have saved so many lives, they wanted to honor my dad. What a legacy. What a statement.
One year to the day of my dad's passing, we went to his tree. I had not seen it since his memorial last year. I was particularly touched to see that someone other than family had remembered him on that day and left flowers. There it was in all it's glory in the middle of a nice grassy area at the main entrance to the hospital. Andrew went right to the plaque that we had not seen. For whatever reason he sat, stared and touched the stone. He rubbed his hands over dad's name and teared up. We all did. My baby has been a completely different boy ever since my dad left. They were best friends as any best friends could be. He is truly missing my dad more that I will ever fully know.
As we left I thought about how I want to leave my legacy. Will people plant a tree in my honor for being the best average Joe I can be? Will I make such a mark by doing good anonymously? Can I do so much stuff for so many people and never tell a soul that they will one day honor me with a plaque without the prompting of my family? So far, no. So far, not if I lived to be 600 years old. So today and everyday I will make it my mission to do everything well and the best I can do it. I will strive for excellence in all that I do. I will try to be as Christ-like in my every action known and unknown so that when I die (probably in the shower) my children will be honored to be mine.
This is a link to a song that makes me smile and cry all at the same time. I can't wait to run and hug my daddy's neck again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnTu0i9cj-I
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