Life in General.

   Growing up my family had one single entity holding everything together that was my Grand Mother, Great Grandmother to be exact because I never knew my Grandmother. She was the one go to person that kept me from being the person I very well could have become, and helped mold me into the person I am today. To this day the biggest loss in my life was the day she passed away. Nothing has been the same since, and it truly saddens me that she never got the chance to meet my daughter Caitlyn, and my Son Jaxon. She would have really gotten a kick out of them.
   Living in dysfunction takes it's toll on a boy and unless you have lived you you just can not fathom this statement, and I don't care what a book tells you, or some college professor. (I'd rather not go into detail) Depression, anger, hate, sadness, and a variety of other emotions take a hold of you. I always thought that one person in my life kept those emotions from consuming me.
    Now as an adult looking back on life it has really dawned on me that yes, Grandma was my rock but she was not alone. There were many others, and there is not a doubt in my mind that this was God's plan and everyone that came in and out of my life did so for a reason. Everyone that stood by me, from teachers, to coaches, to friends helped mold me into the man I am today, and the realization of just exactly how powerful the statement "it takes a village to raise a child" really is.
    What exactly makes someone "family"? Is it blood, marriage, etc. etc. etc?? The generic definition is two parents, their children and others related by sib ship or marriage. I strongly disagree. To me "family" consists of anyone that you care about, or cares about you and that luck I spoke of continued in the fact that I grew up in a small town in which it's members essentially became my "family".  To this very day those same people are the same ones to offer comfort, congratulations, or support and it makes me wonder if everyone has that in their life or not.
    Anyone that knows me, knows one of my biggest joys in life as an adult is coaching football. I have done a lot of thinking about that lately and I have finally come to the conclusion to why that is. Yeah, I love the sport that is a given, but walking onto that field subconsciously brings back a comfort that I only felt growing up when I played football. I had some really great coaches, and was very lucky to know some of them, and I try to mold my coaching techniques based on a few of them. One of them of course is the late great Jack Cherry. He could yell at you and have you cracking up all at the same time, but his passion spilled out with every motion, yell, or whistle blow.

    No matter what, dysfunction will always be part of my life, and something I have to continuously work on, from being angry, depressed, or being overwhelmed with anxiety, but no matter what I have to be thankful for everyone in my life past and present, and it such a calming feeling knowing that I'm alive and doing well thanks to the wonderful people that God has placed in my life. So if you are reading this, my thoughts and feelings matter to you, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate that and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.