Episode #42 My Fathers Christmas Legacy/A Christmas Parable Based On A Real Event

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Nope, you're in the right place.
This is the Mormon Renegade

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podcast.
So, on this episode, we're going

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to do something just a little
bit different.

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It's going to be, just you and
me, since I've done this podcast

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and you have listened and
interacted with me.

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I feel like we've come to know
each other, quite frankly, it's

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something I hadn't counted on,
but I'm glad that it happened.

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So I want to tell you a little
bit more about me and my family.

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We love Christmas Christmas
around our house.

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It's a Big, big deal, don't get
me wrong, we love the food and

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the lights and the presents, but
more than that, however, we love

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the meaning and feeling of
Christmas people's, heart seemed

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to be just a little bit more
open to their fellow man in to

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God for me.
Christmas hasn't even deeper.

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Meaning, it's a connection back
to my Earthly.

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Father.
See he left me a legacy during

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Christmas.
It's one.

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I've tried to live up to that
Legacy has become a tradition.

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This Legacy, and tradition will
be evident by the end of the

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story.
First, Say that this story is

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based on a true event that
happened when I was 8 years old.

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I saw it or, at least I saw part
of it as an eight-year-old boy,

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then explain to me in depth at
the age of 16, I had to fill in

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the gaps of people and events.
So the story can be told in the

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way that would Engage The
Listener.

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I have also changed the names of
some of the characters to

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protect their privacy.
Now, the event near the end of

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the story that I witnessed as an
eight-year-old, boy, did happen.

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At the end of this story, I will
tell Tell you exactly what

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happened in real life and how I
actually came to know about it

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so that you The Listener can
know exactly what happened.

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So, think of it more like a
Christmas.

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Parable, based on a true event,
I feel like the story now needs

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to be told in a very public way,
for some reason that I can't

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explain.
Now, one of the things I have

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come to love about this
experience, is that it's not an

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exclusively fundamentalist
story.

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Heck, it's not even an
exclusively Mormon type of So

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this experience and this episode
can be shared with anybody.

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But before we begin, I want to
tell you the listener how very

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grateful I am that.
You have spent many hours with

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me here on the podcast.
I have been so blessed to do

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this podcast and have been even
more blessed by you listening

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and on occasion even interacting
with you.

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I want to thank my guests.
They really did make the podcast

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this year.
My hope is that this story will

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help you feel the true meaning
of Christmas.

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Perhaps make the season, a
little more bright.

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I grew up in a pretty normal
home.

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My dad owned his own business.
By the time he met my mom.

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He was already a diesel mechanic
working on big 18-wheelers.

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My mom would help out with the
books and that sort of stuff

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around me office.
As a young boy, I go with my dad

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to the shop and work a little
and play even more and eat junk

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and truckstop food more than
that though.

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I got spend time with my dad, I
got to learn a Disney.

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I got to learn life lessons now,
used to this day, looking back,

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I've often wondered if he didn't
have an idea.

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You would die young somehow.
He taught me a lot of things

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that didn't seem age-appropriate
for a 10 to 12 year old things

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like how to treat a woman when I
was dating things on how to be a

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parent and other such stuff.
He was my best friend, my gentle

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protector, my Advocate, and my
hero, unlike so many other young

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men who seem to have a strange
relationship with her father.

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I was blessed with a great
relationship with my Dad.

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We lived in an average house in
rural Western Idaho.

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Now, I never really got to know
my grandparents on either, my

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mom or dad's side.
However, I did have something

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just as good.
We had some sweet.

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Elderly neighbors, Donna, and
Charles, they treated me in my

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three siblings, like we were
their own grandchildren.

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They showered us with love and
affection, Donna would always be

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waiting for us every day after
school with some sort of

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confection she'd baked during
the day Charles, who had amazing

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selection of sodas in his
garage.

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It always signal me over for a
Coke.

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And a story from when he was
young, I look back now and I

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wish I could tell my younger
self, just how good he really

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had it, that ideal life would
come to an abrupt and sudden

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halt one day in the very last
part of December 1991.

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I awoke that night to see my
father slumped over in a chair

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with paramedics, working around
him vigorously, as Donna

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consoled, my mother and Charles
held us kids clothes.

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Finally, the paramedics loaded,
my father in the back of an

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ambulance and took him to the
hospital.

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Charles stayed in our house, all
night with me, and my three

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younger siblings.
So my mom and Donna could follow

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the ambulance to the hospital in
the morning.

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I talked to my mom on the phone.
She told me my dad had a heart

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attack after some evaluation, he
was moved to a major Hospital in

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Boise where he would undergo a
heart bypass surgery.

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Now, today, those surgeries are
pretty regular but 1991 we

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didn't have nearly the tech we
have today.

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So it was still a pretty big
deal.

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Deal that day, Charles drove us,
kids up to the hospital.

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So we could see our dad before
he went in for surgery.

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I remember, I was the last one
called in to talk to my father

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that night as I walked in my
perception of my dad was being

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shattered.
As I saw him lying there with

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tubes and wires hooked up
everywhere he called me over to

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him.
As I went over, he grabbed my

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hand and spoke to me.
Expressed how much he loved me?

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He told me how proud he was of
me and that he was sure, I would

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grow up to be a good husband and
father, Other the thing that

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stuck with me the most, however,
was that he told me first, I

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would need to take care of my
mom and younger siblings.

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Then he said, Remember All Good
Things Come From God.

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Now, this caught me a little off
guard, my dad and my mom weren't

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particularly religious.
And by particularly, I mean, at

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all, however, you always said
that he believed in God and

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Christ, it wouldn't be until I
was much older that I realized

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that that man LED more of a
grounded life in Christ.

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The many professed religious
People.

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He then kissed me and told me he
loved me and to go home and help

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take care of my younger siblings
the next day, I waited at Donna

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and Charles house with my
younger siblings and

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anticipation for news on my dad,
Charles kept me.

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Entertained with stories
Coca-Cola and cookies.

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While Donn and my mom were at
the hospital during my dad's

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surgery.
Finally, the call came as I

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talked with my mom on the phone,
she said that the surgery had

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went very well and was
successful.

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She said, my dad would be fine.
I When I could see him next.

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She told me not for a couple of
days, all of that night, all of

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us rejoiced in that house with
Charles saying this calls for

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more Coca-Cola and cookies I
went to school that day relieved

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my hero my best friend was going
to be okay.

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I felt like I was on clouds all
day long.

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I remember what my dad said
before the surgery, All Good

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Things Come From God.
For the first time in my young

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life, I thank to God, I didn't
really know for saving my dad.

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After school, I raced home, I
opened the door to my house.

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I was always first one, the
first one home before my

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siblings, as I burst in the
door, I saw a note on the

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kitchen table.
It was my, in my mom's

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handwriting that red went up to
be with your dad.

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I will be home later.
Charles will feed you dinner.

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I waited for my siblings to get
home and then we all went next

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door to Dawn on Charles house.
Charles was there waiting with

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the obligatory Coca-Cola and
cookies and everything seemed

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fine?
We Wait outside.

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I listen to Charles tell me
stories of his childhood and his

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time in the army during World
War Two.

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Then at about 6:00 Charles,
ordered pizza at about 9:00, you

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took a phone call and a
different room then came out and

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said, why don't you kids?
Just grab some pillows and

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blankets and camp out here on
the floor and I'll put a movie

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on for you.
Me and my siblings fell asleep

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watching the movie McClintock
with John Wayne.

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Finally, however, it about 2:30
in the morning.

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I was awakened by the voice of
my mother.

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As I woke, I looked up and I,
she had tears in her eyes and so

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did Donna.
So did Charles.

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And there was two other men
there that I didn't know who I

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later found out were pastors
from a church that Don Charles

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attended.
My mom looked at us and said

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kids, your dad has been sick for
a while now and he's not sick

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anymore.
I knew, even at that young age

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of 13, that my dad had died in
that moment.

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My life would forever be
different and incomplete for the

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first time in my young life, I
understood death Sting.

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The next week was a blur as
preparations were made for my

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dad's funeral.
I tried to fulfill my father's

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last charge to me to take my mom
and take care of my mom and my

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younger siblings.
My first cognizant memory of

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that week was the moment.
I woke up on the day of my dad's

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funeral.
I woke up to the sound of rain

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on the roof of the house.
I didn't want to get up.

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I didn't want to bury my dad.
I wasn't ready to shoulder a

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life without him.
However, I knew I had to duty to

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fulfill the my dad.
I had to be a man, I had even

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requested to be a pallbearer, I
figured he carried me the first

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13 years of my life.
The least I could do was carry

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him.
This one last time, I walked

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into the church house after a
private meeting.

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With the pastor of the church
and my family and Donna.

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And Charles, as I entered the
chapel, I was astounded at how

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few people were there.
My dad was a good man, but he

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was a very private, man.
I must admit, I don't remember

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anything the Pastor said, I just
remember feeling empty and

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focused on my duty to be a
pallbearer not screwing up

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finally, the service concluded,
I did my duty both in the chapel

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and to the Hearst and from the
Hearst to the graveside.

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After the graveside service, we
return back to the church.

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I recognize almost everybody at
the funeral except for one

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family.
There was a well-dressed man in

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a woman with two kids that I
didn't recognize.

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I asked my mom who they were,
she just said to go introduce

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myself to them.
I approached them, I remember

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what my dad taught me about
meeting people.

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You square, your shoulders.
Extend your hand.

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And look a man in the eyes and
give them a firm handshake.

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I walked up and said, hi.
My name is Dave In response.

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He said I know what your name is
Sun.

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Then I asked how did, you know,
my dad, he responded.

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Your dad will always hold a
special place in my heart but

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now may not be the time to go
into that.

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Just know he was a good man,
that was enough for me, right

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then.
Three years went by as we tried

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to find a new Rhythm as a
family, but I was broken.

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I was broken because I lost my
best friend and Mentor.

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We went from being in a
middle-income family to being

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very poor as I searched for
answers.

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I found none.
I tried to be a father figure to

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my siblings but I felt like I
was failing.

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As I saw each one of them fall
into self-destructive habits,

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but really, who was I to talk?
Because I was doing the very

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same thing.
My mom was working three.

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Three jobs just to make ends
meet, we lost our house and

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ended up having to move into a
trailer court.

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Everything came to a head.
When I was 16 years old, I

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started to get facial hair, but
it wasn't that prepubescent

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facial hair that looked more
scuzzy than mature.

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So, for the first time in my
life, I needed to shave one day

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after school.
I stopped by Jerry's Market in

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the little town of Payette Idaho
where I lived.

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And I bought some razors and
some shaving cream.

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The next morning was A I woke up
determined to shave like a man.

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I applied the shaving cream and
tried to shave.

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I remember thinking, I wish my
dad was here just to teach me

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how to do this.
I could have called Charles, he

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would have come over in a
heartbeat.

223
00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,200
Show me how to do it, but I
needed to be a man.

224
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,600
I needed to know how to do this
and figure it out myself.

225
00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,600
I cut myself, not once, not
twice, but many many times each

226
00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,600
time, I anger growing hotter and
hotter mad at my dad, for not

227
00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,000
being there, mad at God, for
taking him away, mad at the

228
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,600
whole damn world.
My mom woke up and walk by the

229
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,800
bathroom to see me in a bloody
shaving cream, sort of mess.

230
00:12:23,100 --> 00:12:26,500
I must have looked funny.
I now even laugh, when I think

231
00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:30,700
about what I must have looked
like, however, 16 and mad at the

232
00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:33,200
whole world.
I was not in a laughing mood.

233
00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:37,000
Dude, my mom saw me and kind of
laughed and said, let me help

234
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,700
you with this her laughter
pushed a button.

235
00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:42,200
And me that cause my blood to
boil over.

236
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,700
I punched the mirror and
screamed at her.

237
00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,100
What the hell is so funny?
I don't have anyone to teach me.

238
00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:53,000
I don't have my dad.
I don't have anybody.

239
00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:55,200
I'm alone.
Trying to figure this out.

240
00:12:55,500 --> 00:12:59,200
I don't know who I am, because
my dad isn't here to tell me and

241
00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,600
I don't know who he was.
I don't know what I'm supposed

242
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,900
to do now.
I stood there blood dripping

243
00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:08,300
from my Knuckles.
Looking at the horrified look

244
00:13:08,300 --> 00:13:12,100
on, my mom's face, I wipe the
shaving cream and blood off my

245
00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:13,600
face and stormed out of the
house.

246
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,900
And I am ashamed to admit that
for the next 10 to 12 hours.

247
00:13:17,300 --> 00:13:20,800
It was filled with nothing but
self-loathing and endless stream

248
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,700
of booze and debauchery.
As I tried to fill the emptiness

249
00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,500
inside of me.
Finally about two in the

250
00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,300
morning.
I knew I had to go home when I

251
00:13:29,300 --> 00:13:31,500
got home.
Everyone was asleep which was

252
00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,400
just fine with me.
I went to sleep hating myself,

253
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,700
God, and the whole world.
The next week's went by

254
00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:43,100
uneventfully, I didn't say more
than two words to my mom.

255
00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,000
I got myself and my siblings up
to school.

256
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,100
I went off to school to football
practice, and then to work,

257
00:13:49,700 --> 00:13:53,900
finally one night after a game,
I went home to find a note on my

258
00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:58,600
kitchen table, just read you
have an appointment tomorrow at

259
00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,200
4 p.m. and I thought, oh crap,
she's sending me.

260
00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,600
Shrink that is the last thing I
needed.

261
00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:09,900
I went to sleep thinking about
it, and when I woke up the next

262
00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:12,200
morning, my mom had already gone
to work.

263
00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,200
So at about 3:00, I got ready to
go to this appointment.

264
00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:20,300
Now, 330 came and went and I
kind of felt some relief because

265
00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:23,600
I was like my mom.
She she forgot about this, so I

266
00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,500
don't have to go and I breathe
easy.

267
00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:29,100
However, about 4:00, there was a
knock at the door.

268
00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,600
I answered it.
And that the door was a man, I

269
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,900
vaguely recognized.
Then in an instant, it came back

270
00:14:34,900 --> 00:14:37,100
to me.
This was the man that was at my

271
00:14:37,100 --> 00:14:39,300
dad's funeral that I didn't
recognize.

272
00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:41,700
He simply said.
Hi, David.

273
00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:44,400
My name is Sam.
We met at your dad's funeral.

274
00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,700
Are you ready to go?
Let's go have some dinner.

275
00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,000
The ride to the restaurant was
completely uncomfortable in

276
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,200
silent.
There is something to be

277
00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,000
thankful for, however, in that
Sam wasn't a shrink.

278
00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,900
Now, when we got to the
restaurant in Boise, I was

279
00:14:57,900 --> 00:14:59,900
surprised.
This is a restaurant I'd heard

280
00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:02,900
about, but never been to
because, quite frankly, our

281
00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:07,300
Status would have prohibited us
from ever going into some place.

282
00:15:07,300 --> 00:15:11,300
Quite as fancy as that as I
stepped into the restaurant for

283
00:15:11,300 --> 00:15:13,900
the first time.
I felt just how poor me and my

284
00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:17,300
family really were.
I was dressed appropriately

285
00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:21,200
enough for the occasion, but I
still felt like an imposter Sam.

286
00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,100
And I were seated at our table
and Sam encourage me to order

287
00:15:24,100 --> 00:15:27,800
whatever I liked.
As we sat Sam and I looked over

288
00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,600
the menu, a wave of guilt swept
over me as I saw the prices of

289
00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,900
the various meals on the menu.
You say I must have picked up on

290
00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:38,000
that feeling because once again,
he assured me that I was fine to

291
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,500
order anything I wanted after we
ordered Sam sat back and began

292
00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:46,800
to speak directly to me, look,
David, you're not stupid.

293
00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,300
You know, I'm here because your
mom called in a favor.

294
00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:50,900
I responded.
Yeah.

295
00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:53,900
And what's that?
And he looked me in the eye but

296
00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:56,800
yet he had thus far away.
Look like he was recalling.

297
00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:01,600
Something from a lifetime ago.
I'm going to tell you tonight.

298
00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:05,500
How I met your father?
With that Sam began to tell me a

299
00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:11,000
story and that story, Little did
I know would come to change and

300
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,300
alter the course of my life
forever.

301
00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,900
Sam began his story by telling
me a little bit about himself.

302
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,400
He said I was raised in a pretty
affluent family.

303
00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,700
I live just outside an
Albuquerque.

304
00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:30,500
New Mexico.
I decided to attend college in

305
00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:34,400
Lincoln Nebraska, while in my
sophomore year, I met my wife.

306
00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,200
Rachel, we dated for six months
and I knew she was the woman.

307
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,300
I wanted to spend the rest of my
life with.

308
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,900
We married just a year later,
and then in April of 1995, we

309
00:16:44,900 --> 00:16:47,900
had our first child, a little
boy, we Name Jackson, but we

310
00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:49,800
called him.
Jack around the house.

311
00:16:50,300 --> 00:16:53,100
The story I'm about to tell you,
David begins in mid December

312
00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:56,600
1985, I was in my senior year of
college.

313
00:16:56,900 --> 00:16:59,300
Now, when I was in class, I
worked part time for the

314
00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:02,000
University.
As a janitor, Rachel worked as a

315
00:17:02,008 --> 00:17:05,000
waitress in a local Cafe.
Close to campus, we lived in a

316
00:17:05,008 --> 00:17:07,400
duplex.
Our side had two bedrooms.

317
00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:10,900
We managed to get by with a lot
of hard work and a Little Help

318
00:17:10,900 --> 00:17:14,099
from our parents.
We were poor but we were happy

319
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,700
as I came home from my last
class.

320
00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:20,300
Before Christmas break, I was
super excited for the holiday.

321
00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:22,200
This would be the first
Christmas.

322
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,400
Our little family would be
together alone.

323
00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,900
My parents had decided to go on
a cruise over the holidays since

324
00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:31,300
my parents were now empty.
Nesters Rachel's parents were

325
00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:34,800
going on a mission trip, over
the holidays to Mexico with

326
00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,900
their local Baptist Church.
The thought of being together,

327
00:17:37,900 --> 00:17:40,800
just the three of us over the
holidays generated, a lot of

328
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,800
anticipation for both me and
Rachel.

329
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,900
We felt like we were at the
beginning of our own family

330
00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:48,500
traditions.
And I got home that night and

331
00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:51,400
Rachel had started to unwind for
the night.

332
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,600
We sat on the couch together and
just talk not rushed because of

333
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,200
school or work and just enjoyed
our time and talked about what

334
00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,300
we wanted to do, over the
Christmas break.

335
00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:06,900
We lay Jack down for the night.
And then we went to bed as

336
00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:09,800
Rachel drifted off to sleep.
In my arms, I dozed off to

337
00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,900
thoughts of our first Christmas
alone together as a family at

338
00:18:13,900 --> 00:18:16,700
about 2:30 in the morning.
However, I awoke to the

339
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,900
Detectors going off in our
duplex, Rachel and I both jumped

340
00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:22,900
out of bed to see and smell
smoke.

341
00:18:23,300 --> 00:18:26,700
It became very apparent, very
quickly that this was not a bad

342
00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:30,200
battery in the smoke detector.
As I got out of bed, I place my

343
00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,400
hand on the common wall next to
where our neighbors lived, in

344
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,500
our duplex to steady myself, the
wall, flexed and was extremely

345
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:39,200
hot.
My heart sank.

346
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,600
Instantly to my stomach, Rachel
went around the house to gather

347
00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,700
up as much as she could.
While I grab Jack, my wallet and

348
00:18:45,700 --> 00:18:50,600
the keys to my 1877 Ford Pinto,
this seemed to take forever, but

349
00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,100
in actuality the whole time in
the duplex was probably 45

350
00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:58,100
seconds to a minute tops, we ran
out the door at the same time,

351
00:18:58,100 --> 00:19:01,600
our neighbors ran down the walk
and we all turned around to see

352
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,900
the Flames.
Shoot out, the windows on both

353
00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:07,300
sides of the duplex.
I help Rachel and Jack close.

354
00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:11,200
As we watch the Flames engulf
our duplex, we got into the

355
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,100
pinto and I turned it on and
moved it about 1,000 feet down

356
00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:16,200
the road.
I told Rachel the wait in the

357
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,500
car with Back where it was warm.
I would run down to the duplex

358
00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:23,200
to meet the fireman by the time,
the fire truck got there.

359
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,800
The duplex was completely
engulfed in flames.

360
00:19:25,900 --> 00:19:29,600
It was a total loss.
I stood around for a few more

361
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,500
minutes to answer questions
about the duplex and in to

362
00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:36,400
inform the fireman that everyone
got out safely about an hour.

363
00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,800
After that, the final Flames had
been extinguished and nothing

364
00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,400
really remained.
It was now about 5 a.m. in the

365
00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,800
morning.
By the time I got back into the

366
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,200
pinto with Joe and Jack I told
Rachel that duplex was a

367
00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,500
complete loss.
We sat there for a few minutes

368
00:19:53,500 --> 00:19:55,900
in complete shock.
Contemplating.

369
00:19:55,900 --> 00:19:58,600
What had just happened?
Rachel, finally broke the

370
00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,000
silence Sam.
What are we going to do?

371
00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:05,500
I thought, for a long moment as
I formulated a plan I had in my

372
00:20:05,500 --> 00:20:08,600
wallet about $100 in cash.
I also had a credit card.

373
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,800
My dad had given me with three
hunt with a 300 dollar limit.

374
00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:14,100
Rachel had another hundred in
her purse.

375
00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,600
Our address book was lost in the
fire, so I had no way of getting

376
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,600
a hole into contact with any of
the family and with our parents

377
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,500
unreachable, we made the
decision to drive to my parents

378
00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:27,400
house in Albuquerque.
New Mexico, we found a

379
00:20:27,408 --> 00:20:30,100
McDonald's and after I had
picked up an atlas, we planned

380
00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:34,300
our drive out, it was about a
14-hour drive, but if we were

381
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:37,500
careful with our money and if we
only stop for one night, we

382
00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:40,100
should have been able to get
there within two days with no

383
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:43,400
issues.
The only real concern I had was

384
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,100
that my little Pinto had been
acting kind of funny over the

385
00:20:46,108 --> 00:20:47,200
last few weeks.
Weeks.

386
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,500
However, didn't seem like it was
anything too bad so I felt like

387
00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:55,400
it should be a drive that the
pinto could make no problem.

388
00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,200
Rachel ever, the Practical one
pointed out that we had one

389
00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,100
immediate issue that needed to
be remedied.

390
00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,600
We were still in our pajamas and
didn't have any more clothes.

391
00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:08,500
We decided we would stay the
night in a hotel there.

392
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:12,300
So we can get some rest shower
and buy new clothes for for all

393
00:21:12,300 --> 00:21:15,200
of us on the trip.
And then we would drive straight

394
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,200
through the next day.
We got our room showered and

395
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,900
bathe Jack and then the three of
us fell asleep.

396
00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:25,400
Together on the bed in the
little hotel room as Rachel and

397
00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,300
Jack drifted off to sleep.
I listen to them sleep and

398
00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:31,500
offered a prayer of gratitude to
God, that he had preserved, the

399
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,500
life of my family.
We woke up the next morning and

400
00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:39,200
relatively good spirits.
We felt like we had a plan and

401
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,800
we thought we had enough
resources, we got up and

402
00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,000
dressed.
We fueled up the pinto grabbed a

403
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,700
few snacks, and hit the road.
We were about two hours into our

404
00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:50,500
drive.
When Jack began to get really

405
00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:54,200
fussy at first, we chalked it up
to him, just being sick of the

406
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,300
car.
But soon fussing ass gave way to

407
00:21:57,300 --> 00:22:00,300
full-fledged screens of infant,
discomfort and pain.

408
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,200
Rachel turned around to soothe
Jack and said, Sam Jack is

409
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,700
burning up.
I passed a sign that said we

410
00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:09,400
were only about 30 miles away
from the town of Kearney

411
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,300
Nebraska, Rachel, and I talk for
a moment, made the decision to

412
00:22:13,300 --> 00:22:16,700
find a quick care and get Jack
looked at we pulled off.

413
00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,800
Off I-80 and found one.
I was figuring that this would

414
00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,800
put us a little behind but not
much it was about noon and it

415
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,400
was called an urgent care.
So it was assumed that it would

416
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,200
be quick, right?
Well to my surprise, when we

417
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,800
walked into the place, it was
packed.

418
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,100
Which I thought would take two
hours tops turned into an 8-hour

419
00:22:37,100 --> 00:22:39,400
ordeal.
By the time, the doctor had

420
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,500
examined jacket was 6:30 p.m. by
the time we were checking out of

421
00:22:43,508 --> 00:22:45,700
the quick care.
It was 7:30 p.m.

422
00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:48,700
Jack was diagnosed with a double
ear infection.

423
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000
The bill for the doctor's visit
was 150 bucks.

424
00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:54,600
We then went to the local drug
store to purchase the

425
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,800
antibiotics and that cost an
additional $50.

426
00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:03,000
I did the math in my head, we'd
already spent 250 of our 500 by

427
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,900
the time we we were done at the
pharmacy.

428
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,200
It was 9:30 p.m. as we got back
into the car.

429
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,200
It was now starting to snow.
I checked an AM station in the

430
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,100
pinto and parts of I-80 had been
shut down due to a fast-moving,

431
00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:17,200
snowstorm coming out of
Colorado.

432
00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:21,400
Rachel, and I looked at our
finances, we had 250 to get us

433
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,500
to Albuquerque.
We needed about 100 of that for

434
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:27,300
gas and figured if we were
Frugal we would have enough food

435
00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:31,600
as well since it was so late and
I-80 was closed in spots.

436
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,500
We decided to get a room at
Motel 6.

437
00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:38,100
For $35, then get up in the
morning and make the 12 hour

438
00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:40,900
drive to Albuquerque.
The next morning, there was

439
00:23:40,900 --> 00:23:45,500
fresh snow, but I-80 westbound
was open to us and we were back

440
00:23:45,500 --> 00:23:47,800
on the road.
We all jumped in the penile.

441
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,800
Fueled up, grab some food for
the trip and started heading

442
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,500
west again.
The plan was, we would drive

443
00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:56,200
West on a I-80 until we got to
Big Springs.

444
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,800
Nebraska from there, we would
take I-76 around Denver than

445
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,800
pick up I-25 and go all the way
into Albuquerque.

446
00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,500
Things were starting to look up.
I could tell Jack was feeling

447
00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:09,100
better.
If he slept in his car seat, I

448
00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:11,300
took comfort in the rhythm of
Rachel's breath.

449
00:24:11,300 --> 00:24:14,900
As she slept, I was just coming
through brick Springs.

450
00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:17,600
Nebraska, when I started to
smell something funny coming

451
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,100
from the pinto, then I noticed
my temperature gauge was Rising.

452
00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:24,800
I pulled off the exit and pulled
into a old gas station.

453
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,500
That had a repair shop in it as
I pulled in and shut the car

454
00:24:28,500 --> 00:24:30,400
off.
I could see Steam pouring out

455
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,500
from under the hood of the pin.
Do I pop the hood and saw

456
00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:37,200
Antifreeze everywhere.
The mechanic from the shop came

457
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,400
over and asked.
If he could take a look, he

458
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,000
quickly diagnosed the problem.
As a malfunctioning thermostat,

459
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,200
I really didn't have the money
to pay a mechanic and I told him

460
00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,500
that he said that he could show
me how to replace it and even

461
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:53,900
let me borrow some tools super
grateful for his willingness to

462
00:24:53,900 --> 00:24:56,000
work with me.
I asked him if I could buy the

463
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,700
thermostat from.
He informed me that he didn't

464
00:24:58,700 --> 00:25:00,600
have one.
I checked the local parts store

465
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,500
in the best.
They could do was get us one

466
00:25:02,500 --> 00:25:05,700
first thing in the Ting.
The part itself wasn't very

467
00:25:05,700 --> 00:25:08,800
expensive but this meant that I
would have to put out the money

468
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,300
for one more night in a hotel.
The thought of this made my gut

469
00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:13,800
turn.
I found this.

470
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,900
The cheapest room I could, which
was thankfully just across the

471
00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:19,900
street from the gas station
after paying for the room.

472
00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:22,600
And the thermostat we were down
to 75 dollars.

473
00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:26,100
I could possibly over extend the
credit card if we needed but we

474
00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:29,800
should be able to make it with
fuel if we drove all the

475
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,300
following day.
Can Albuquerque the next morning

476
00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:35,200
came.
Minute 9 a.m. the thermostat

477
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,100
arrived.
Thanks to the mechanics

478
00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:40,200
instructions in the tools.
We were back on the road by 12

479
00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,500
p.m. we were about 10 hours from
Albuquerque.

480
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:48,100
I felt like the worst was behind
us, as we got to the very

481
00:25:48,100 --> 00:25:50,300
outskirts of Denver.
However things took a

482
00:25:50,308 --> 00:25:54,200
disastrous, turn the pinto began
to shake tremendously and lose

483
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,200
speed.
The more I put my foot into the

484
00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,800
gas, the louder, the RPMs would
climb and yet we still wasspeed.

485
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:06,800
I looked ahead and then off-ramp
had a 76 Truck Stop on it.

486
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,400
That was only a quarter mile
ahead, I put my hazard lights on

487
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:15,400
and coasted off the interstate.
We parked the car, turned it off

488
00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,300
and then turned it back on the
car had no trouble starting back

489
00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:22,400
up but we couldn't get the car
to get back into gear.

490
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,800
I had Rachel steer.
While I push the car around to

491
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,500
the mechanic shop side of the
truck.

492
00:26:27,500 --> 00:26:30,900
Stop a man came out to greet me
and we finished push the car

493
00:26:30,900 --> 00:26:34,800
into the shop me, Rachel and
Jack's The lobby of the shop

494
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,600
finally.
The mechanic came in to talk to

495
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,400
us, he informed us that the
transmission was completely gone

496
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,000
out of the pin 0, it would take
a week to fix it and cost

497
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,100
thousands.
I asked if there was an

498
00:26:46,100 --> 00:26:49,600
inexpensive work around, he said
he didn't know of one but that

499
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,100
he would talk to the shop
foreman when he got in.

500
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,100
Now the shop foreman, normally
came in about 6:00 in the

501
00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:57,200
evening, just to check on
everybody before.

502
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,500
Shutting it down for the night,
Rachel and I took Jack to the

503
00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:04,600
diner that all truckstop seems
to have and went in, I literally

504
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:06,800
had fifty dollars left to my
name.

505
00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:09,200
I told Rachel the order dinner
for her.

506
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,800
I sat in that Booth, not knowing
what to do, a waitress, whose

507
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,500
name tag read.
Sheila came up and took Rachel's

508
00:27:15,500 --> 00:27:18,000
order.
I just ordered a black coffee.

509
00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,700
Sheila was a short, Stout woman,
whose voice sounded like she'd

510
00:27:21,700 --> 00:27:25,600
spent a lifetime smoking Pall
Malls, but was a warm woman,

511
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,500
nonetheless, who called
everybody honey.

512
00:27:27,900 --> 00:27:30,900
While Sheila was putting in the
order and getting my coffee,

513
00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:33,400
Rachel, and I began to talk
about what we were going.

514
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,300
You do?
I noticed that in addition to

515
00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:39,500
being a truck stop this was also
a pickup and drop off point for

516
00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:42,700
Greyhound bus lines.
I left Rachel and Jack.

517
00:27:42,700 --> 00:27:45,400
There in the booth where we were
seated, then went to the

518
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,700
ticketing counter of the bus
depot.

519
00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:50,300
I asked how much for three to
get to Albuquerque.

520
00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,600
The ticketing agent told me that
they had a bus leaving for

521
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,300
Albuquerque in about 3 hours and
there was room.

522
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,900
And another bus was leaving the
next day at the same time, the

523
00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:03,400
fair, however, would be $200.
My heart sank.

524
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:05,400
Think it might as well be a
million.

525
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,700
I went back to the booth to talk
to Rachel.

526
00:28:08,100 --> 00:28:10,200
I told Rachel where things were
at.

527
00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,700
She looked at me with tears in
her eyes and asked me what we

528
00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:15,800
were going to do.
I told her sweetheart, we are

529
00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,600
out of options.
I'm going to have to make a sign

530
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,200
and beg for money until we get
enough to get bus tickets.

531
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,800
Hopefully, by the time, the bus
leaves tomorrow.

532
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,100
In the meantime, I would talk to
Sheila and ask that.

533
00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:31,100
As long as Rachel kept ordering
coffee, if she and Jack could

534
00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:33,100
stay in the restaurant, while I
begged.

535
00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,900
Rachel and I wept silently with
each other.

536
00:28:35,900 --> 00:28:39,100
In that little booth, Sheila
came back to the booth to

537
00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:42,900
deliver Rachel's food and my
coffee, I pulled Sheila off to

538
00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:46,800
the side and explained the whole
situation, Sheila's eyes.

539
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,400
Well, up with tears and said, of
course, Rachel and Jack could

540
00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,000
stay in the diner.
It's open 24 hours a day.

541
00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:57,000
I then asked if Sheila had a
piece of cardboard in a marker,

542
00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:00,500
she delivered the supplies and I
went to the men's room stall and

543
00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:03,000
started writing my sign asking
for money.

544
00:29:03,900 --> 00:29:07,500
As I wrote the Sinai wet knowing
that I failed my little family,

545
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,300
just three days ago.
All I could think about was

546
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:14,100
being curled up and cozy with
him in our little duplex and now

547
00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:17,300
was in a truck.
Stop Men's Room writing a sign

548
00:29:17,300 --> 00:29:20,400
begging for money.
I hit the sign in my jacket

549
00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,900
pocket then went back to the
booth and apologize to Rachel

550
00:29:24,900 --> 00:29:27,700
for my failings as a husband and
father and provider.

551
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:31,600
I looked outside and it had
started to snow, I sat with

552
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,500
Rachel sipping coffee and
holding my son.

553
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,800
Son, putting off the inevitable.
I tried several times to get up

554
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,200
and go, but she would come back
around with coffee and said, I

555
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,700
would need it because it was
going to be cold outside.

556
00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:47,800
Then she came back around with
the previous day's pecan pie and

557
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,400
said, it was on the house about
another hour passed now, it was

558
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,100
snowing sideways.
It was a kind of Blizzard that

559
00:29:54,100 --> 00:29:56,000
could only be produced in the
Rockies.

560
00:29:56,500 --> 00:30:00,300
There was no more time to stall.
I checked to make sure that the

561
00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:03,800
sign was still in my coat.
I could feel it the in Your

562
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:08,000
minimum, my humiliation and my
acknowledgment of failure, I

563
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,700
kissed my son, then kissed
Rachel and apologized again, she

564
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:15,200
and returns, simply touch my
cheek, Walt crying.

565
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,100
And told me, that she would
always be proud of me and would

566
00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:21,500
always love me.
I then got up and thanks Sheila

567
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,600
for allowing my family to be
here in the shelter of the

568
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,100
diner.
She looked at me with tears in

569
00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:30,900
her eyes and hugged me.
I then push past the door and

570
00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:33,200
headed outside to do what I had
to do.

571
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:37,100
I walked to a place that I felt
was safe yet visible.

572
00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,400
I reached into my coat and began
to pull out the sign and got

573
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,300
ready to start begging for
money.

574
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,900
Then out of the blizzard, I
heard a loud, echoing voice,

575
00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:52,100
that was strong yet, Pleasant, I
turned around and through the

576
00:30:52,100 --> 00:30:54,900
blizzard, I saw a large man
approaching me calling out my

577
00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:58,400
name.
He was about 300 feet away, but

578
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:02,200
I could already tell this man
was large standing, six foot two

579
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,100
tall and Broad shouldered
dressed head to toe in a Santa

580
00:31:06,100 --> 00:31:09,500
Claus suit.
He said my name again, is he got

581
00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:13,300
within about 10 feet of me and
then said Sam, what are you

582
00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:16,000
doing out here?
I answered back.

583
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,800
And as I did, I began to cry
again at the thought of having

584
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,100
to vocally admit my failure.
I don't have a choice.

585
00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:24,400
I have to get me and my family
to safety.

586
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,100
The man.
Now, just six inches away from

587
00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:31,100
me with kind eyes, full of
compassion said, you don't have

588
00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:35,200
to do this today, Sam.
He Took the sack off of his back

589
00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,200
and pulled out an envelope
inside were the bus tickets that

590
00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:43,100
we needed and to top it all off,
the bus would leave and just 45

591
00:31:43,100 --> 00:31:46,200
minutes, he then pulled out
another envelope and handed it

592
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,500
to me.
Inside was $500, he then handed

593
00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:53,700
me a brown paper.
Sack that had diapers baby food

594
00:31:53,700 --> 00:31:57,500
snacks and sodas for me and
Rachel and even a stuffed bear

595
00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:01,400
for my son.
I was weeping uncontrollably by

596
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,500
this point, as I rested my
forehead.

597
00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:06,400
It's the man's shoulder.
He just embraced me and said,

598
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,100
sometimes things just happen.
You're a good man, Sam.

599
00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:12,500
And I have a feeling you could
grow into a great man.

600
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,100
Now you only have about 30
minutes till that bus leaves.

601
00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:18,600
So get your wife and son and get
on that bus.

602
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,000
I asked what's your name?
So I can repay you.

603
00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:25,200
He grabbed me by the shoulders
and looked me in the eye with

604
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,100
those piercing blue eyes and a
smile that I could see under his

605
00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:31,200
fake beard.
Sam, I'm Santa Claus and Magic

606
00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,600
happens around Christmas.
As far as we're paying me

607
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,400
someday, you will be in a
position to help someone else

608
00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,000
repay me then by helping them,
he embraced me one more time as

609
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,900
he released me, I could see.
Shelia and Rachel holding Jack

610
00:32:44,900 --> 00:32:48,600
looking out the diner window.
I went to the diner and rounded

611
00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,400
up, my little family, Sheila
boxed up some pie and gave me

612
00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:56,100
some coffee, and it to go cup.
Then the bus pulled up and she

613
00:32:56,100 --> 00:33:00,000
will hugged us and we got on the
bus as we boarded the bus.

614
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,400
I exhale deeply, then saw my son
holding the bear at this.

615
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:08,200
Ranger gave him and I began to
weep Rachel just held me as all

616
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:12,000
the emotions in the worry of the
last three days came pouring out

617
00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,700
later on.
In the bus, ride is my family.

618
00:33:14,700 --> 00:33:17,800
Slept next, to me, I couldn't
get the Man's eyes out of my

619
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,500
mind, they were filled with love
and compassion, no judgment.

620
00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:24,600
Nothing that made me feel
ashamed, or uncomfortable, just

621
00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,600
compassion, Rachel and Jack.
And I spent Christmas alone

622
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,400
together, after all when my
parents house, safe, warm and

623
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:34,900
fed.
After my parents got home, they

624
00:33:34,900 --> 00:33:38,500
helped me, get a new car and a
new apartment in Lincoln on the

625
00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:40,300
way.
Back to Nebraska, I stopped by

626
00:33:40,300 --> 00:33:42,500
that truck stop and pester
chill.

627
00:33:42,500 --> 00:33:45,800
Until she gave me the name of
the man, in the Santa suit, I

628
00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,600
found out.
It was a shop foreman that we

629
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,300
were waiting for.
He happened to be in the diner.

630
00:33:50,300 --> 00:33:52,800
At the same time, we were and
Sheila filled him in on what was

631
00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:56,000
going on.
I went to the shop and ask for

632
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,800
the man, as he came around the
corner covered in oil and

633
00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,000
grease, I embraced him and told
him just how much his active

634
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,000
service members.
To me.

635
00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,600
I tried to pay him back but he
refused and just sit to help

636
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,600
someone else out when the time
came.

637
00:34:10,900 --> 00:34:15,300
Sam quit, telling the story now
and looked at me David that man

638
00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:18,199
was your father.
I wept when I heard he passed

639
00:34:18,199 --> 00:34:20,699
because I felt like the Earth
was a little worse off for him,

640
00:34:20,699 --> 00:34:24,100
not being in it.
However, David I have hope I

641
00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:25,800
have hope because you're his
son.

642
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:28,699
Your mom mentioned that you told
her that you didn't know who

643
00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:31,400
your father was.
Well, I can tell you who he was

644
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,000
to me.
He was my relief and my most

645
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,800
desperate hour.
He was a light when it seemed

646
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,699
Darkness was all around your dad
left.

647
00:34:39,699 --> 00:34:41,600
You a legacy of Love and
service.

648
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,900
Now it's up to you.
If you will pick that torch up

649
00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:47,800
and carry on, I don't know you,
well, but I have a feeling that

650
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,300
you're not going to disappoint
with that dinner wrapped up and

651
00:34:51,300 --> 00:34:54,699
Sam took me home.
We had a pleasant conversation

652
00:34:54,699 --> 00:34:57,600
on the way home.
He got out of the car and hugged

653
00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,900
me and told me that I would grow
into a good man and with that,

654
00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:03,500
he got back into his rental car
and began to drive away.

655
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,000
As I was walking away, he
stopped and rolled down the

656
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,400
window.
He said, look, I got something

657
00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:11,800
for you that I think will help.
Clean your room.

658
00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:15,000
He rolled his window back up and
then drove away.

659
00:35:15,500 --> 00:35:17,800
I went inside my house.
Everyone was asleep.

660
00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:19,500
It was about 12:30 in the
morning.

661
00:35:20,100 --> 00:35:23,100
I walked into my room and all my
bed was a garment bag.

662
00:35:23,500 --> 00:35:28,000
I hung it up and unzipped the
bag there inside the bag, was a

663
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,000
Santa Claus suit with a note
that read.

664
00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:33,000
I paid your mom to get this
refurbished and cleaned.

665
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,500
This was your father suit, I
figured it was a tool.

666
00:35:36,500 --> 00:35:38,800
You will need to carry on your
father's Legacy.

667
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:43,300
I buried my face in to the red
velvet coat and wept wept at the

668
00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:47,100
thought that my dad had actually
worn this suit wept out of a

669
00:35:47,100 --> 00:35:50,600
loss for my father and also wept
out of gratitude that.

670
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:54,000
I know my father a little bit
better and that he really did

671
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,700
leave something for me.
I then felt my mom's hands on my

672
00:35:57,700 --> 00:36:01,300
shoulders and she whispered to
me, Sam wasn't the only one,

673
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,800
your father helped in that suit.
But he was the only one that

674
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,900
came back.
She then said, you're too young

675
00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:10,800
for this now, but the time will
come when you grow in stature

676
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,400
maturity and compassion, but I
know you will keep your dad's

677
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:18,600
Legacy alive.
So that's the story.

678
00:36:19,300 --> 00:36:22,800
Now to be fully transparent.
I want to tell you what really

679
00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,900
happened in that truck stopped
that Day in 1985 in Denver.

680
00:36:28,100 --> 00:36:30,400
I was an eight-year-old boy.
Eating in that truck.

681
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,800
Stop diner with my dad.
He really did run a shop at that

682
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,100
truck stop.
Sheila was a real person.

683
00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:39,300
Listen, I do remember vividly
her Whispering something in my

684
00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:42,600
dad's ear that caused his
expression to change from joy

685
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,600
and happiness to one of concern
and compassion, I remember that

686
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,700
in that moment.
He got up from the booth and

687
00:36:48,700 --> 00:36:50,900
went to the diner telephone and
called my mom.

688
00:36:51,300 --> 00:36:54,400
I remember my mom got to the
diner and my dad slipped out the

689
00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,200
back.
I then remember my mom signaling

690
00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,000
me to come over and look out the
window.

691
00:36:59,900 --> 00:37:03,800
Whereas an eight-year-old boy, I
saw Santa deliver relief to a

692
00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:06,100
man, his wife and their small
child.

693
00:37:06,900 --> 00:37:10,600
Never once did it dawn on me
that inside that suit was my

694
00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,400
dad.
See, even as a kid I was kind of

695
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,400
slow.
It wouldn't be until I was 16

696
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:18,000
years old.
That I learned that it was my

697
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,400
dad in that suit.
Don't get me wrong.

698
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,000
It's not like I believed in San
until I was 16.

699
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:26,200
It's just I hadn't made the
connection with that experience

700
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,700
in the truck.
Stop diner with my dad at 16.

701
00:37:29,700 --> 00:37:31,900
I really did have the come apart
moment.

702
00:37:31,900 --> 00:37:34,800
I talked about in the story
where I punch the mirror while I

703
00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,800
was trying to shave.
It happened, just the way I told

704
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,300
it.
It was a few weeks after that,

705
00:37:40,300 --> 00:37:43,800
however, that it was my mom that
gave me that Santa Claus suit

706
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:47,200
and not Sam.
The characters in the story of

707
00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,300
Sam, Rachel and Jack were based
on the three people that I saw,

708
00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:55,000
my dad helped that day.
I never really met any of those

709
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,700
people.
There was no one named Sam.

710
00:37:56,700 --> 00:38:00,400
That came to my dad's funeral.
Nobody Named Sam took me out to

711
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:04,200
dinner and told me the story I
found out about the story from

712
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,900
my mom and my mom alone.
I don't know who those folks

713
00:38:07,900 --> 00:38:10,500
were that my dad helped.
I don't know what their

714
00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:13,400
backstory was.
I don't know how they came to be

715
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:18,100
in that situation.
All I know is that my dad helped

716
00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:21,700
them out in a way that was very
special around Christmas.

717
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,600
I filled in the details of Sam,
Rachel and Jack.

718
00:38:26,100 --> 00:38:30,200
So that the story could be told
it was my mom, that filled me in

719
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,900
that it was my dad who had
helped those three people out

720
00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:34,600
that day.
It was her.

721
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,000
That told me my dad had done.
This many times before too many

722
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,800
different people.
It was her that let me know that

723
00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:46,000
I had a legacy to continue.
So that suit and Legacy, my dad

724
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,900
gave me that is 100% real.
Once I had a family of my own, I

725
00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:53,800
put on that suit a couple of
days before Christmas.

726
00:38:53,900 --> 00:38:57,700
Every single year, I make a
special delivery to some family

727
00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:00,900
that is in.
Need my wife drives me, my older

728
00:39:00,900 --> 00:39:04,200
kids wrap the gifts.
I hope I've done a good job in

729
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,400
passing this Legacy on to them.
The most incredible part is that

730
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:12,400
no matter how much I give I am
the one that always feels the

731
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:13,800
most blessed.
Every time.

732
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,900
I serve every time I see the
look of relief on some parents

733
00:39:17,900 --> 00:39:21,200
face on how they were going to
provide Christmas at year or the

734
00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,500
excitement and wonder on the
child's face.

735
00:39:23,900 --> 00:39:28,000
I am the one that is so richly
blessed on some occasions since

736
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,100
my wife Parts down the street
about 100 or 200 feet away from

737
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:33,800
the house.
So they don't see me coming.

738
00:39:34,300 --> 00:39:36,000
I make that short walk to their
home.

739
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:40,400
And I can steal my dad right
beside me every time and on a

740
00:39:40,408 --> 00:39:42,500
few occasions.
I found myself speaking with

741
00:39:42,500 --> 00:39:45,000
him.
There's only one thing I can

742
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,300
remember.
My dad saying to me as a kid

743
00:39:47,300 --> 00:39:50,000
that I put in the story that I
did kind of disagree with.

744
00:39:50,700 --> 00:39:54,700
He used to say, magic happens
around Christmas as I've come to

745
00:39:54,700 --> 00:39:59,500
know our God, it's not magic.
What we feel around Christmas,

746
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,800
that feeling, that's the love of
God.

747
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,700
And it's not that God loves us
every more, every December, it's

748
00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:10,400
that We're a little more open to
feeling his love, so my prayer

749
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,200
for you this year is that you
begin your own legacy of love

750
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,900
and service to God's children.
Heaven knows.

751
00:40:16,900 --> 00:40:21,800
We need it now more than ever.
Again, I want to thank you for

752
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:23,900
listening.
I also want to thank everybody

753
00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:27,700
who came on the podcast this
year, my guest really did make

754
00:40:27,700 --> 00:40:30,900
the podcast what it is.
I want to thank everyone for

755
00:40:30,900 --> 00:40:33,600
their listenership.
I have been so profoundly

756
00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:36,000
blessed to interact with you the
list.

757
00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:39,500
Sure at times sometimes I feel
guilty because I know I'm

758
00:40:39,500 --> 00:40:42,200
getting way more out of doing
the podcast than anyone

759
00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,900
listening.
I look forward to next year to

760
00:40:44,900 --> 00:40:47,700
continue to bring on great
guests and bring you more

761
00:40:47,700 --> 00:40:52,000
episodes of the podcast.
So finally for me and my family

762
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,800
to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy
Hanukkah or whatever it is you

763
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,900
celebrate may you feel God's
love more abundantly during this

764
00:40:59,900 --> 00:41:01,100
special time of year