He is dad, father-in-law, "Pops", husband, son, brother, friend & one heck of a mailman

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." That's a quote that I ran across while sitting here at my computer, trying to come up with a perfect speech to give at my dad's retirement dinner Friday night. How do you summarize in a few words what one man has accomplished in so many lives? Not only the lives of his wife, children and grand-children, but the lives he touched every single day for 30 years as a rural mail carrier for my home town. And the lives he touched for so many years as an inspiring bible school teacher for the young-married class at Porter Church of Christ. The lives he touches as the chairman of our annual Porter Peach Festival every year for as long as I can remember, Porter Lions Club honoree, school board member, Porter Fire Dept and Civil Defense volunteer, and the list goes on. And all of the things I just listed don't even include the numerous ways he has touched and continues to touch my life and the lives of my three girls. THAT is a whole different speech!

I am humbled by the daunting task of writing words to honor a man whose integrity and work ethic have shaped the person I am today, as well as my brother and sister and, God willing, all of our children for years to come. Our family has recently had to endure yet another Iraqi deployment for Michael. This one was especially difficult. This was Mike's first time to leave a wife and son behind; something most of us parents and spouses can scarcely imagine. When I think of the kind of dedication and sacrifice that it must take for a soldier to leave his family for an entire year to go and fight for our country's freedom, I have to ask myself "HOW can he do it?" But the answer comes to me easily as I reflect back on my dad's influence on us over the last 3+ decades.
It's no surprise that my brother has followed in my dad's footsteps and dedicated his life's work to protecting our freedom. My dad is a Vietnam veteran, wounded 3 times in Vietnam and awarded a Purple Heart for his sacrifice. Even though it's painful to have Mike away for this next year, what a sense of pride our family can carry, knowing that my dad still continues to shape us, even when we are grown. His influence on all of us will span this lifetime and beyond.
While I know that the community of Porter will experience a great loss by my dad's retirement, I can't think of anyone more deserving of this next phase of his life, whatever it may bring.

Until next time,
Marcy