This is a note I wrote on a Father's Day Card to my 81 year old dad who isn't in the best of health. The inside of the card was blank and on the cover is a newscaster quoted as "Our top story tonight...Everything everywhere sucks. More after this."
My message was inspired from the realization some years ago that my parents, like most people, see negatives easier than positives. And having their genes, and being raised by them from a very young age, I too have seen negatives easier than positives. I may have been a negative person even though I thought the opposite. Since my epiphany, I have been working hard at recognizing and changing those habits and having some success.
Here's the note:
Dad,
You taught me a thing or two growing up. One thing is that "its not whether you have problems, its how you deal with them. You will always have problems". Another thing is that "life is not a straight line punctuated by curves, its curves punctuated by straight lines."
There are plenty of negatives and positives in the world and in our lives. If you want to see negatives, its easy to do so. Sometimes I think its easier to see the negatives. But I realized that's only true if that is one's bent. I think it may have been my bent for a long time. But I found I can change.
I find what I can be grateful for and the positives about everything I can and try to focus on that. At least, that is my goal. It has slowly been improving my life, and perhaps the lives of those I touch.
My Father's Day wish is for you to feel better when things are tough by focusing on what positives you can find and leaving the negatives behind.
Happy Father's Day!
With love,
Jeff and family
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