Originally posted on Facebook HERE
Today’s “Looking Out My Back Window” post comes from the deck of our room in Green Lake, WI. On the water. I love being near the water. I rented a place years ago in Oshkosh right on the lake, it was fantastic. It’s also Father’s Day today, so people are recognizing their biological fathers and what they’ve meant in their lives. I know my dad influenced me, I inherited some of his traits. Many people call God the “father”, and I’m thinking a bit about that as well today. The lake is so calming. What if we took a bucket of water from the lake, and set it aside. Is that bucket of water still the lake, or is it now separate? What if we then took a glass of water from the bucket, and set it aside? Is the glass of water still connected to the bucket? Or is it now it’s own entity? What, then is the glass of water’s connection to the lake? If we pour all the water back into the lake, chances are we can never create exactly that bucket of water of that particular glass of water ever again. If left to evaporate on their own, eventually the water would return to the lake. Life is something like this. Water, when taken from the lake, can be used for good or bad reasons – you could throw the bucket in someone’s face, or use it to water plants. Either way, it will always return to its source. Sitting by water reminds me that in the ocean of humanity, we are all connected. Does the glass of water disappear when thrown in the lake, or does it become more powerful? If you throw a glass of water in the lake, then pull another glass out the water won’t be exactly the same anymore. This is what happens when we connect with God. There is a calm, loving power behind and through everything in the Universe. We can connect with it, and as we do, we change who we are and how we approach life. We start to see we might be capable of more than we gave ourselves credit for. We look at events and people with more understanding and compassion. And today, we can look at the people we call “father”, whether biological or not, and thank them for their place in our lives. Those of us who are fathers and grandfathers can do our parts to make sure our children grow up to be loving & grateful adults. Not always an easy task. Know that anytime you’re thinking “why is this happening to me?”, the answer is usually found by looking within. With children come challenges. I’ve been lucky with my father/grandfather relationships to have mentors and kids that have always been pretty good. My father has been gone for many years now. Treasure the time you have. Stand up for honor, integrity, love, humor, compassion and empathy. The kids of tomorrow are watching the fathers of today, and we can and will shape the next generation with our actions. Return to the source as needed. Spend time on and near the water. And give dad a hug today. Tell him you love him. Some of us no longer have that opportunity. Take advantage while you can 
