“Don’t you give Pam and John a ride almost every week?” – Sam Baker

Respite

“Don’t you give Pam and John a ride almost every week?” Sam said as he looked at our friend Trent Gubler.

“Often.” Trent responded, in his quiet sheepish manner.

It made me think. And, the more I thought about, it I realized Sam was right. Trent was spending a lot of his time giving Pam and John a ride for many of reasons. At that moment, I felt a little ashamed, because I had been pretending, as almost everyone else, that Pam and John were living just like the rest of us.

Then one day I was driving on Medical Drive in the middle of the day and I saw John walking along the side of the road, on the bike trail there. I thought, “perhaps I should offer John a ride?” But that was all I did. I thought about it.

Maybe it was because such a thought made me feel uncomfortable. The more I thought about it, that was only part of it. It wasn’t all of it. The truth is, I didn’t want to become responsible to take care of John and his mother, Pam, on a regular basis. Just like Trent was. And, I began to think of everything Trent was doing.

He was running his large dental practice, was in the middle of raising four very active children and was designing and building his new office building. He’s going to be moving his practice to that building as soon as it’s finished. And, I knew some of the extracurricular activities his kids are involved in; musical theater, soccer and choir. He has more moving pieces to deal with in his personal life than I do right now. I decided to help.

A tipping point came within the next week when I saw Trent, John and Pam together again. I stiffened by back and walked up to Trent, put my arm around him and in a quiet voice asked, “Trent, may I take John and Pam home when we’re finished here?”

He responded immediately, “that would help me a lot! I have a choir function with my family and I was wondering what to do.”

A few minutes later I gathered John and Pam, helped them into my car and drove them home. They live in two different places. 

I dropped Pam off in her care facility. Then I drove John a couple of miles further to drop him in the parking lot of a national-chain-Italian-eatery. He pointed to a corner of the parking lot and said, “this is good. I live under the freeway overpass right over there.” Then he pointed toward the heavy underbrush and the trial leading down a slope.

I wondered why they were so sleepy and tired earlier in the day. Now I knew why! They needed respite. They needed respite much more than I had imagined. And, knowing this, witnessing it first hand, gave me a renewed commitment to being more generous and helpful to them. It’s the least I can do. Giving them a ride now and then is a small thing to me.

During our next ride together John said, “I have all I need. I have a place to sleep and some food to eat. And, a ride from you.”

Respite.

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"Little do they know that the hidden treat, the treasured treat, is that I get to be here to buy them something today!”

Hidden Treat

The sun had slipped behind the Oquirrh Mountains. It was now past evening and into the night, Friday night. I thought the day had come to a close. I was wrong, as indicated by a flash on my phone.

“Can I call you?” the message strobed.

Rather than taking the time to respond with my fingers, I answered the urgency with a return call.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“As you know, we’re in the process of moving out. My attending friends and I smelled a strong smell of gas and we all began to feel unwell,” My client said anxiously. “When we smelled gas, I called Dominion Energy.”

As a result, the emergency team at Dominion Energy responded quickly. They walked into the house and asked everyone to leave. It was unsafe for anyone to be there, as gas fumes permeated the entire house.

“I shut off the gas. We’ll let the house air out overnight. Then, you can have a professional contractor come to evaluate the problem and repair it,” the lead inspector said as he handed the owner of the property his report.

The report detailed all gas line-fed appliances, while identifying the flex-feed line which provides natural gas to the furnace as having the leak. I knew this because my Client took a photo of the report and sent it to me with a message.

“Dominion Energy asked me to tell you about this immediately,” her note said. “What should I do? I don’t have any money to pay someone to make the necessary repair because of the expense of moving my family.”

So, I contacted a local HVAC company first thing in the morning and made arrangements for them to go to the house to evaluate and repair. And, by noon they had made the home safe again. What could have been a devastating event for this family was remedied. Yet, there is significance beyond the surface of this story.

On this particular Friday night, all of the children of the family were tucked safely in beds in their new home. They had helped move all that day and were exhausted, as was their mother. They didn’t even know of the danger filling their newly empty home.

“Had we been at home, under normal circumstances, we would have all been sleeping and may have never noticed the gas leak before it was too late! Thank goodness we had a hard day so we could be spared!”

Their mother went on to tell me how difficult the move had been for her children.

“They just couldn’t understand why they were having to uproot their lives. Now I know that the real reason was so we could all live. I told them I’d give them a treat for helping with the move. I’m at the store with them now, letting them choose their treat. Little do they know that the hidden treat, the treasured treat, is that we get to be here, together, to buy them something promised today!”

Watch the latest segment of my show on American Dream TV:

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"I just want to end this by saying most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Even if there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting." - Rudy Noorlander

A Home for Choco

“My husband was called out to mow a property and discovered that this sweet boy, named Choco was left behind, tied to a tree in the backyard,” Niki Ragland said, while reaching out to friends and colleagues.

It appeared as if the owners of the house, who had just sold, where Niki’s husband found Choco fastened to a tree, simply moved out of the house and left this loving, old dog there. The mowing crew didn’t now what happened for sure, so they stopped their work to contact the people living on all sides of the yard they were sprucing up.

“We learned from the neighbors that he is at least 14 years old,” Niki continued.

But, they didn’t stop there. Niki, her husband and the rest of their landscaping crew began to speak with everyone they knew in an effort to care for this still smiling dog.

“I can’t take him, I have 2 German Shepherds that don’t really play well with others. I really, really don’t want to have to call animal control, Choco doesn’t deserve to live his last years in a cage at the animal shelter. PLEASE help me find somewhere he can be loved and well taken care of!”

This campaign for Choco’s new home lasted only one day before Niki provided everyone with good news.

“We did find Choco a wonderful home. 2 kids, a huge yard and a golden retriever to keep him company. Thank you so much to everyone who reached out!! This made me so upset! But I am super grateful that we were able to give his story a happy ending!”

Another happy ending recently unfolded for Rudy Noorlander, a survivor of a grizzly bear attack in Montana a few weeks ago. Rudy was speaking about his own experience during an interview with media, "I just want to end this by saying most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Even if there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting." Rudy’s words could easily extend to Choco, as well as any one finding themselves in a position of hopelessness and dependence on the goodwill of others.

And, just as in Rudy’s case, where he was flown from Montana to The University of Utah Hospital to have his lower jaw reconstructed and replaced by skilled and caring strangers, Choco’s happy ending could only have happened as a result of good and compassionate people, working to create healing and happiness for someone dependent on the kindness of strangers; strangers willing to bring someone in need back home.

After all, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

Watch the promo for my upcoming show on American Dream TV:

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Harry Pupper’s Pining Door.

Pining Door

“Your dog is pining for you at the door,” Sue said to me over the phone.

Such words seemed to ease my loneliness at being away from home at first. Yet, the more I thought about them, the more they made me wonder. After all, Harry Pupper wasn’t home alone. He was there with another loved one. And, it was late into that night when I walked through Harry’s “pining door.”

As soon as I walked through that lonely door Harry Pupper perked right up.  His stubby tail was furiously stirring the air and he made one of his patented push-off-jumps up onto my leg. It’s one of his ways of welcoming me home. He is a faithful friend to be sure.

Yet, there was a thought acting as an anvil on my heart. “Is there a difference between being a faithful friend and not allowing oneself to enjoy the association of surrounding loved ones, when one or more are away?” So, for the rest of that arrival night and the next day I watched Harry Pupper to acquire additional insight. 

Harry’s eyes followed me as I lifted my suitcase onto the bed in our primary suite, in begin my ritual unpacking process. He lay near me as I unzipped the case and began to unload packed items, based on relocating them back to their rightful spots.

Once sorted, I took one stack with me to the closet. Harry followed me there. He relaxed himself on the floor as I carefully hung shirts and pants. He stayed in that same position as I sorted the soiled laundry and placed it into respective bins. When I left the closet, he followed me into the bathroom.

Once I began to return toiletries to the vanity, he resumed his resting position not far away. He stayed that way until I left that room, later, after following me to diverse household locations, he returned with me to the bedroom as soon as I said, “it’s time for bed.”

When we got up in the morning to actively pursue the new day, he laid on his under-my-desk cushion as I started my workday. He stayed there with me through the morning. He was relaxed and seemingly fulfilled. Then something changed. Sue, my wife, left the house.

As soon as Sue left the house, Harry resumed his post at his pining door, where he reposed through the afternoon until she returned. He was there for hours. And, I remembered Sue’s words, electronically transferred into my ear, just one day and a half, earlier.

“Your dog is pining for you at the door,” she had said to me over the phone.

Such words seemed to ease my loneliness at being away from home at first. Yet, the more I thought about them, the more they made me wonder. After all, Harry Pupper wasn’t home alone. He was there with another loved one. And, it was late into the next day when Sue walked through Harry’s “pining door,” after being out for most of the afternoon. All that while He could have been receiving consideration from surrounding love. That’s when something important dawned on me.

A person doesn’t feel lonely, until they focus on love they aren’t receiving. So, perhaps we should, all of us, center our thoughts and hearts more fully on the love presently encircling us, rather than on our own pining doors?

Watch the promo for my upcoming show on American Dream TV:

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“There are some things you just can’t rush. All things happen according to right-timing.” – Chef Steven Brooks

Patient-Time

“I’m going to spend time with my family now,” Chef Brooks said. “My son just got out of the hospital and my wife and I are making sure to be with him as he heals.”

When Chef Brooks agreed to come to the Northwest Arkansas LGPA Championship to give me a culinary tour of Bite NWA, I had no idea his son was in the hospital fighting for his life. When the Chef arrived, his bright, infectious smile came with him; even under his difficult personal circumstances. He gave no hint as to his underlying stress as we began our walk through the more than forty tasting booths.

We tasted, sipped, sampled and discovered the delicious offerings of his year’s event. And, the people surrounding us began to come up to this likable Celebrity Chef to greet him immediately. He is truly beloved.

One young exhibitor beamed brighter than the warm afternoon sun as soon as we walked up to taste her charcuterie boards.

“Delicious,” Chef Brooks emitted through his earnest voice.

“Really?” She hopefully answered back.

“Yes,” He responded. “Keep up the good work.”

His words of encouragement sent a thrill throughout her whole being. She is the perfect example of how the participants in this sixteen-year-old event have benefited from Chef Brooks and his vision of strengthening an up and coming generation of chefs.

“When I was younger, there were others who helped me,” He said before giving me an example of how the process of growth works through patient time.

“I was in a televised, dual-competition in New York a couple of years ago when I glanced up and to see what my competitor was cooking. He had just started making collard greens. I looked up at the clock and saw the countdown timer winding down. I simply shook my head and said to myself, ‘there is no way anyone can make that dish properly in that amount of time,’” He recalled.

After the judges completed their scoring, Chef Brooks took a moment to taste the collard greens prepared by his competitor.

“They were tough, just as I thought they’d be. There are some things you just can’t rush. All things happen according to right-timing.”

He went on to explain that he calls this “patient-time” and that it is something we all need to be mindful of in day to day life. Then he revealed another personal example of his own adherence to this principle.

The Sunday before our work together his twenty-year-old son had been rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest. While in the hospital his son flatlined. Chef Brooks and his wife rushed to their son’s side immediately. They’d spent all week with him since, teaching him about patient-time and how such things, as healing, require it.

“I’m going to spend time with my family now,” Chef Brooks said, as he said his goodbye. “My son just got out of the hospital and my wife and I are making sure to be with him as he heals.”

Watch my latest show on American Dream TV:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IT0IYLYKqA2dPTxGycbno19Srmf75UHB?usp=drive_link