Reflections : On Being a Happy Father On this Day!

Today is a Father’s Day of staggering joy – found in the accomplishments of my sons as they see success from all the hard work they’ve put in towards following the passion of their purpose. It seems they were just babies – they are now grown men launching into a future of unlimited opportunity and certain success! I am too overjoyed for words, but I will try.

It’s beyond thrilling to know that Willie will start a new position tomorrow for a construction engijneering/project management firm as “UAV Division Manager.” After demo flights, numerous meetings and discussions, and a lot of back and forth, the company has asked him to essentially come in and establish a drone division that the organization can use as a platform for growth. Essentially, a startup within an established firm, taking the concepts of his small company onto a larger launchpad. Willie has worked tremendously hard to build up his drone company, really wanting to carve out a path in this explosive new industry. His efforts were so significant that it drew the attention of this organization who were determined that his vision of the future would ‘take flight,’ so to speak! The chance of a lifetime! On the side? Willie has inherited my love for exploring all-things-geek, his most recent project being a ‘smart garden.’ Ask him the moisture level in his back garden, and he’ll pull out his phone and tell you!

And Tom! He just received his Certified Financial Planner designation almost 3 years to the nose after graduating university and immediately starting on a career path in the wealth management industry. Most people in the industry take 5 or 10 years to get this globally recognized designation; his determination compressed that to the bare minimum. “Driven” does not begin to describe him. The last 3 years have seen a flood of exams, studying, courses, and .. and in the midst of this, achieving success with a 70.3 Ironman event, a few half-marathons and so much more. It is a marvel to watch him in action as he counsels elderly and young clients in assessing their futures, strategizing their actions and thinking through their goals. Knowing that he has found his life path by helping others manage their own is a wonderful treasure. Small point – given his inherent drive to succeed, I had decided I would let him win most golf matches so as to not deflate him. (-;

Working behind the scenes with incredible determination, incomparable love, and astonishing self-sacrifice is my wife of 31 years, Christa. She essentially tossed away a career on a trajectory towards opportunity to focus on our family, giving up everything to help with the success of my own initiatives and the growth and focus on my sons. Incomparable love is defined in the outcome of such dedication.

In spite of the challenging conditions in which we find ourselves in todays’ pandemic oriented world, there couldn’t be a more astonishing impactful focus on joy and hope to be found.

I am a happy father on this day!