Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - Victory Medal

 Tuesdays With Pappo



Back on January 10, 1946, this handsome young man joined the US Army in Johnson County, Texas. He is now 96 years old.....and one of less than 1% of the US population still alive who served in WWII.

His son-in-law, Wayne Sekerke, felt it was about time he received the medal he was long overdue in receiving. It is called the Victory Medal.

After months of working with government red tape, Wayne and the Johnson County VA Representative, James, were finally successful in securing this medal for Pappo.

Last Thursday and a mere 78 years after stepping foot into the Johnson County Courthouse in Cleburne, Texas with draft papers in his hand, he returned there for a surprise presentation of this WWII Victory Medal.

We hope you enjoy watching our family's very own G.I. Joe celebrating and receiving this long overdue Victory Medal.

Monday, May 20, 2024

The Silent Next Generation



A few weeks ago, we hopped on the first plane of the day to Phoenix, Arizona to attend our granddaughter Bella’s college graduation.  Her college years flew by for me and I was caught off-guard at how quickly they were ending.  I don’t know about Bella, but Lele wasn’t ready.

Rewind three years.  She had used every spare week of her junior and senior high school year visiting universities around the country trying to find that one university that was the “perfect” fit for her.  She could have gone most anywhere....her GPA allowed it.  


And she chose GCU - Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.


I won’t lie; I had never heard of it.  But turns out, it’s the largest Christian university in the country.  As she prepared to move 1000 miles away from home for the first time and barely know anyone there, I found myself proud and nervous as she loaded her Jeep, waved goodbye and drove to Phoenix.  


Her Lele cried that day....a new chapter was beginning.


Back to the present.  She had, indeed, found “her people” at GCU and she lived a full life volunteering with the homeless shelter, making good grades, finding good friends to explore life with and trusting God through it all in her 3 years at GCU.  She became a mighty warrior for God and her love for Him spilled out of her everywhere she went.  


Her Lele cried that day....happy tears.


On her graduation day as I sat in the stands with 6,999 (no exaggeration!) other family members, my mind couldn't help but think of all I had been seeing on the nightly news for weeks.  Palestinian riots at American universities, keffiyeh (muslim scarfs) covered faces, demands, tents, destruction, spray painting, chaos and canceled graduations at some of the most prestigious and expensive universities around this country.  


But none of that was happening at GCU.  Instead, I saw smiles, prayers being prayed, caps with life scriptures painted on them being worn on the heads of new graduates and listened as they sung Amazing Grace before a single diploma was handed out.  It was like two different worlds.


And her Lele cried that day too.....relieved tears she picked the right world.


So often we, as Christians, feel we are losing the battle.  We see our next generation spewing hate, having no conscience, no accountability and it feels as though everything is upside down.  Bad is now good, right is now wrong, girls are now boys and men want to have babies.  They celebrate abortion as if they won the lottery and curse those who defend life.  It often times, to me, feels hopeless and too far gone to fix. 


SPOILER ALERT!!  It’s not!!  There is a silent next generation that is bigger than what we see on the news.  They have morals, they have dreams, they have values....and they know God didn’t make a mistake when molding their gender in the womb and they know that every life....every - single - life.....born and unborn...is precious and created by God. 


I call them the Silent Next Generation....they are REAL and I have been a witness that they exist.   Don’t lose hope simply because they aren't screaming and you don’t see them on the nightly news; simply trust that God is lifting up a new Next Generation and it is going to be the BEST yet!


Thank and Trust God!



































Thursday, May 16, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - Powerful Kisses

 Tuesdays With Pappo

May 16, 2024

#tuesdayswithpappo

One of the many things my Pappo is known for at his Independent Living Apartment is handing out kisses on the heads of all the women.

I've watched him go from table to table at lunch time kissing each woman on the head and telling them how pretty they are. They look up at him and smile....which then initiates a never-before-heard "giggle" out of him. It's such an endearing sound that pops out of him that it gives me a chuckle each time I hear it.

This week, we were headed out of his apartment to go to lunch when a woman I've not met before came down the hallway. As she got to his door, she looked him in the eye, leaned her head down and pointed to the top of her head. He giggled....she giggled....then he leaned down and kissed her on the head.

I simply can't make this stuff up.

She then went on her way to her apartment....happy.

These moments.....watching my Dad and his friends depending on each other for friendship, affirmation......and yes, giggles, does his youngest daughter's heart good.



As I headed the 1-1/2 hour trip home remembering my time with him, I also found myself wanting a kiss on the head from Pappo.....and I couldn't help but giggle.

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Mothers Day 2024

 A 12th Mothers Day has passed......since you passed, Mom.



Hardly seems possible....because, truth be told....I have felt the warmth of you with me each day of those 12 years. I may not be able to physically hold your hand today, Mom, but I have something even greater: I have a piece of you living inside of me.



Your smile, your voice, your wisdom.....they are all still wildly alive within my soul. So you see, Mom, you didn't die....you've never been more alive than you are right now!!

And this daughter.....well, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Mother's Day to the Greatest Mom To Ever Live



Thursday, May 2, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - If Hands Could Talk

 Tuesdays With Pappo

May 2, 2024



Perhaps one of the most wonderful of all gifts from God is the human hand.

My Pappo’s hands are an absolute marvel...27 bones, over 30 muscles and that magical left hand has an artery that runs straight-up into his HEART!

These days, it’s Pappo’s hands that help him walk. They push the walker that gives him freedom. They hold the Dallas Morning Newspaper each morning that keeps his mind sharp as a tack . They are learning to thread the needle and sew his initials with his only granddaughter.....and they are teaching those around him how to be Grateful and Thankful in all things. These 96-year old hands God handed him so many years ago have stood the test of time.

Oh.....If hands could only talk......the stories they could tell!

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - These Hands

 Tuesdays With Pappo

April 18, 2024



These hands.....they've seen a lot of life..

They caressed my blubbery skin as an infant....they spanked me quite often as a pre-teen....they frantically grabbed the steering wheel while teaching me to drive as a teenager....they handed my hand over in marriage as an adult....and they placed themselves on the casket of our Mom as his way of saying "Goodbye" to his wife.

These hands.....the hands this week that, when I asked him where he got the Dallas Cowboy eye glass holder on his end table, he looked me in the eye and, knowing I was desperately not a Dallas Cowboy fan (because of Jerry Jones), promptly started ripping the Cowboy logo off.




Now that's TRUE LOVE, folks!



Thursday, April 11, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - Incarceration

 Tuesdays With Pappo.....on Thursday.

April 12, 2024





Pappo Has Been Incarcerated.

Or so he says. When we first moved Pappo 2 years ago from his home of 60+ years in Garland to his new community in Keene (a community he always said he wanted to live in, by-the-way), he pointed towards his new apartment building and firmly stated to his new son-in-law Wayne, "That's where they're incarcerating me."

Such a drama king.

He was half kidding/half serious at the time, but two years later, he's still using that as his "catch phrase" whenever he wants a reaction. Us three kids just roll our eyes.

Truth is, he has great friends living among him here. The women love that he kisses the tops of their heads in the dining room and tells them how pretty they are. He has coffee with the men. He leaves sweet notes for the dining staff on his napkin. And he has become quite "settled" in and happy here.

Last week, he said he wanted to put a picture of himself behind bars on his apartment door. His "Incarceration" has become his identity here. So I thought to myself..."If he's going to talk the talk....I'm going to walk the walk" and surprised him yesterday with a picture of himself behind bars that is now proudly hanging outside his door with the sign, "Can't Fix Stupid".

Yep.....Welcome to Cell 108!

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - This Man

 Tuesdays With Pappo (On Thursday this week)

April 4, 2024




This Man......

I call him Pappo (Pop-O).....
He calls me Softie....

It's been my name since the day I was born.....He named me that after seeing his fat rolly-polly 3rd child laying in the bassinet. I'm not sure he even knows my real name.

It's always been Softie.

I used to BEG him not to call me that in front of my friends when I was a teenager. Funny how we change with time. Now I cherish hearing the name Softie fall out of his mouth....

❤

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Tuesdays With Pappo - 35,040 Days

Tuesdays With Pappo - 35,040 Days

March 26, 2024


35,040 Days……

840,960 Hours……

31,536,000 Seconds……

This is the amount of life lived by this man.


Today marks Year 96.
A lot of life has been seen by him….and a lot of Joy & Sorrow has been felt throughout those 31,536,000 seconds.


My Pappo (pronounced Pop-O) is a unique guy. It’s inbred in him to “learn” new things. Whether it’s sewing, or learning to play the mandolin and the piano, or the Spanish language, he never stops wanting to “learn”. I think that’s why God has blessed him with 840,960 hours on this earth. He still needs to learn…..


This week? He’s learning stocks and bonds.


As we celebrate this student of Life named Jim Calloway today, we thank God for giving our Pappo extra sand in his hourglass of Time.






Tuesdays With Pappo - No Words Needed

Tuesdays With Pappo

#TuesdaysWithPappo

March 26, 2024

Happy 96th Birthday, Pappo



No words needed.....