For those of you who do not know the history behind it, it was the first manuscript I ever wrote and I did so while my father was battling cancer in 2003. He was an eternal optimist and the man who had taught us how to laugh through the tough times. But cancer took its toll and got him down. I wanted him to know that no matter the outcome, he'd done it right by teaching us how to live, laugh and love well.
I captured all of our family stories and wrote them in a humorous vein and asked him to edit them while he was laid up in his hospital bed undergoing chemo. My desire was to let him know that his teachings had sunk in and take away a bit of his pain through laughter.
He laughed so hard, his doctor told him to knock it off or he'd bust a few stitches on his recovering backside. He did forget the pain for a bit and I figured I'd done my job. He hadn't done his though....
Before he died, he made me promise that I'd seek publication for this manuscript so I could teach others how to laugh at the everyday foibles in life. Although I never intended this manuscript to be published, true to my word, it now is and available for public consumption. I guess my life is now quite literally and open book…
But now I have to market the blinkin' thing and so, I am going on another virtual campaign to spread laughter and chuckles across America. Let's face it, in a world where laughter is about as plentiful as cellulite on Callista Flockheart's thighs, we need to remember how to laugh.
And so, on my hosts' Blog and FaceBook sites, you can read reviews, comments and favorite gems captured within the pages of Life is Tough. But most importantly, they as well as myself, will have Life Savers - gems of thought (look for the Life Saver Candy picture since life can be sweet if you look at that way) - which will help you to laugh and look at the world in a different way. That Life Saver will be explored more completely on my blog and you can link to it from all of theirs too.
And to kick that off, since this story began with the passing of a great man in my life, my first Life Saver is this:
Strive to make your life long and useful similar to a roll of toilet paper.
My dad could be stubborn and hardheaded but like a water will smooth the rough edges off of a stone, adversity softened him into a man that many came to love and admire. At his funeral, we waited to greet people of various ages who'd come from all over the country to give their condolences. We quit counting at 750.
His passion was people and helping them to find the true joys in life. He taught that there are several things one ought to take seriously in life but ones self is certainly not one of them.
I did not truly understand the depth of his service to those around him until I later had to clean out his files and read the notes of thanks for the many things he'd quietly done for people.
It suddenly made me want to live my life in such a way that I'd bring honor to his name and his life. Like his, I wanted my life to be long and extremely useful like a roll of toilet paper.
Dad wasn't perfect but he gave all that he had to build up those around him and better the quality of their lives.
Yes indeed, for a man who was more hard-headed than one of those presidents on Mount Rushmore, he certainly did make his life long enough to be useful. And in my humble opinion, he accomplished enough to “wipe” away any doubts as to his greatness and life beyond…..
