I was just a college kid and I needed a job. Tough times didn't allow my parents much opportunity to help me financially back then and my grades and SAT scores didn't swing the doors open either. If I was to attend college, it would have to be local and I would have to finance it. I was directed to see a lady at the college who helped place students in jobs. Her name was Nancy Goode and I had only recently met her at the church I had just started attending. She greeted me with her beautiful smile and after a short talk said she had just the job. Her husband worked at the Labor Department and needed a secretary, but I had to talk to him first. So, I went, half excited and half scared. What if he didn't like me...regardless if his wife did? I didn't know what to expect, but who I met that day was a kind, easy going gentleman, who was more concerned about my spiritual welfare than anything else. The interview portion of our visit didn't last long as it soon turned into just talking about my life...and Jesus! Mr. Goode, as I called him then, made me feel at ease. It was like talking to someone I had known all my life, like a close relative or a dear family friend. We connected instantly and I left the office that day as his new secretary.
It didn't take long for "Mr. Goode" to become "Mr. Tommy." For the next six and a half years we worked closely..sometimes as two peas in a pod, and at others as Clash of the Titans! We disagreed on our filing system the most and re-did it countless times. Most of the time the case files stayed in stacks under my desk. Our job, rather, Mr. Tommy's job, was to collect restitution to the State from those who fraudulently took unemployment insurance benefits. If the person would not pay back the money or stalled, the next step was to seek an arrest and take them to court. I said "our job" only because Tommy had hopes that if another field agent position opened up, I would be already trained (with the exception of having a badge for court appearances) and could easily take the job. I handled most of the case files that involved cooperative people, while he took on those who were beligerent about their situation. Often they were the ones who would make office visits, probably hoping to talk Mr. Tommy into giving them more time or letting them off the hook. What they didn't know was that what awaited them was far more important than a simple office visit.
Tommy Goode loved Jesus. And he loved to share Jesus with everyone he met. His job at the GDOL was to pay the bills. His real occupation was to tell others about Jesus, at every given opportunity. His office was just a place to do it on a regular basis! A person would come and sit on the small sofa in his office and talk about how they didn't know what they did was wrong. He'd listen and explain to them just how wrong they actually were and discuss payment plans. Once the business at hand was completed, he'd turn the conversation to a personal talk and before long, he'd get up to close the office door. Just before doing so, he would lean around the doorway to my desk and give me the "signal." It was just a quick gesture with his hands to let me know to be praying at that moment. More times than not, the person in his office walked away a new creation in Christ Jesus! Tommy would have that look on his face, that twinkle in his eye, knowing that God was glorified once again! He loved to share with people how Jesus could change their life. He loved it! He didn't wait for opportunity, he often created the opportunity! He got together with a close friend at one time and made a little booklet. It was simply the Gospel of John in a burgandy binder and on the inside cover was the title "Not For Sale." It was his way of sharing that grace and salvation were free! Monday nights would find him attending church visitation or CWT, a witness training visit. He also had the chance to go to Russia...just to do what he loved best...tell others about Jesus.
During those years, I leaned on his guidance often. He always took time to listen if I needed to talk and would pray, not just for me, but with me. Not many people can say that about their boss. But he was more than a boss. He was a friend and a mentor. He was a protector and an encourager. He was quick to praise and just as quick to chastise me. Whether it be my attitude or my hair cut... he didn't hold back his opinion! I recall when I got my hair cut really short, he politely said it looked okay....for a boy! He gave opinions about my wardrobe, my perfume, my dating choices! There were even a few times he tried to play cupid! He was certainly proud of me, though, when true love finally did happen and my "fellow" soon became my husband. He was proud that I didn't compromise and settle for just any guy, and his approval of my David meant so much. I asked him if he would play his saxaphone at our wedding (oh, he was a wonderful musician and singer!). He agreed and recruited fellow/former band mate, Stan, to play the keyboards, and for one of the songs, his son Tracy sang lead. I was told after the wedding by a relative that it was the best wedding ceremony music they had ever heard! And it was indeed beautiful! What was incredible to me was that all he and Stan had was a cassette of the songs I wanted. No sheet music. They just listened to the song and played it as if they had written it! Yes, he was that good!
Other than Jesus and his family and music (and perhaps his dogs!) I would say hunting and fishing ranked rather high for him! Much of my field agent training came on his hunting and fishing days! And, of course, he would often take along someone who needed to know about Jesus! He was just like that. He would find someone to pour into. At times, it came with a price - broken trust, a wounded heart, discouragement. But during the time he spent with that individual, he did all he could to help them. He would take time to teach them about Jesus and help them learn how to study the Word. He would provide advice and guidance, even putting himself in harm's way to help them. Tommy had a God given boldness to do whatever it took to reach out to them and draw them away from the darkness that held them captive. For him, love was indeed an action word, and he put it in action time and again!
I look back on those years as his "Girl Friday" as he liked to call me. (He also liked to call me Blank, but I won't talk about that!) We probably spent most of our down time talking. About what? Anything and everything! We studied the Bible together (yes, and on government property!), shared life stories and learned life lessons, cried some, prayed alot, and laughed so much! He had a great laugh! My "dumb blonde" antics had him in stitches quite often (hence the nickname, Blank!). I didn't mind getting his coffee (even though a fellow female co-worker chastised me for doing so), and he often got mine! And he would include me on lunch dates with his supervisors when they came to town (Aunt Fanny's every time!). Tommy was probably the best boss a college student could ask for, as he always gave me time to study, permission to listen to great music, great preaching....and Rush Limbaugh! Yes, there were those days when he'd have me wanting to pull every last strand of my hair out! But he more than made up for it when he treated me as his own! He called me "kiddo" alot or "my girl" or "my kid." I looked up to him as any daughter would her dad.
The past 13 years have found me busy. Often too busy. Of that I am convinced. I resigned in October of 1998 in order to attend college full time. I was newly married and it wasn't long before our first child was born. I saw Mr. Tommy some, at first, but as the years rolled by, the visits became less. His health began getting bad and I kept telling myself that I needed to see him. I finally decided I would write him. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me and how his involvement in my life was not a coincidence, it wasn't fate or chance - it was intended by God. I wanted him to know that he had made such a lasting impact on my life, that the lessons he taught me, I teach to my own children. I thought of sitting at the computer and typing it out, but decided a hand written letter would be better. I thought about it again this past Saturday, and decided that as soon as I had the chance to sit down with a few minutes I would do it.
Tommy went home to be with the Lord Sunday morning. I never wrote the letter. I'm sure he knew how I felt about he and Nancy both....but still, I wanted to tell him. Tommy Goode wasn't just someone I knew. He stepped in and was like a father to me back then. He deserved to hear that. But I won't dwell on it. As a follower of Jesus Christ, and as Tommy's little sister in the faith, I know that I will see him again...and I'll be able to thank him. I saw his body in a casket tonight, but Tommy's story has not ended. In fact, it has just begun! The only thing that has ended is his suffering. I'll get to see my mentor and friend again. It's not something I just hope about. It's is something that I know for certain.
I remember the last day I worked at the Labor Department. I was ready for a change. I was ready to pursue my education. But as I left, I found myself crying like a baby, as I made my final rounds, hugging necks, and saying goodbye. And in a few hours, I will attend Tommy's funeral to do that again... to say goodbye. Yes, it's a temporary goodbye. But I would like the priviledge to say, honestly, it's never easy. One thing that brings comfort is knowing that twinkle is gleaming in Tommy's eyes! While we were receiving the sad news of his passing, he was hearing from the mouth of his Lord and Savior Jesus, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" And, indeed, Tommy Goode most certainly was.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
After His Death...A Best Seller Legacy
Last month we learned of the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder, genious, sufferer of a rare form of pancreatic cancer. It was a very sad day and the outpouring of sentiments that followed proved how much his genious touched the lives of people all over the world. Facebook statuses scrolled with quotes from his speeches, people commenting how inspiring he was. His death made the headlines. Even if someone didn't know who Steve Jobs was before, they certainly knew by then. Before the month was out, his authorized biography, originally scheduled to release in November, was released and was the New York Times #1 seller. So much was said and reflected about his life, his contributions to society, and his enthusiasm for taking the bull by the horns and charging forward with life. But as he charged, and as he encouraged others to do so, who was left behind? There were those left to wait in the shadow of his success. Not former employees. Not former co-workers. But, sadly, his children.
Steve Jobs' personal history is one of fragmented families and the seemingly inability to prioritze one's personal life. Born in 1955 to unmarried Abulfattah John Jandali and graduate student Joanne Schieble, they were afraid and felt that keeping their baby boy would have been shameful to their families. Jobs was adopted, which is a bright spot in his story, but he never knew his biological parents nor ever attempted to contact them. That is understandable. People are different. Some find comfort in knowing who their parents are, while others are content in just pressing on, allowing the past to remain there, and deciding to not look back. His father, though, did express recently that he had tried to contact Jobs, but only by email. In August, Mr. Jandali (80 year old, casino boss) said, "This might sound strange, but I am not prepared, even if either of us was on our deathbed to pick up the phone and call him. Steve will have to do that as the Syrian pride in me does not want him to ever think I am after his fortune. I am not. I have my own money. What I don't have is my son ... and that saddens me." Sad, indeed.
Of Jobs' four children, one was born out of wedlock by his highschool sweetheart, and it was two years after the baby's birth that he would accept her as his own - only after a blood test proved she was his. He did get to know her and she even lived with him for a while. Now 33, Lisa Brennan-Jobs said of the contrast of life with her father verses the simple life with her mother, "My father was rich and renowed, and later, as I got to know him, went on vacations with him, and then lived with him a few years, I saw another, more glamourous world." Interesting, don't you think? Her time with her father gave her a perspective on wealth, not a father/daughter relationship and what it could, or should, be.
The now infamous authorized biography gives the reader an even clearer glimpse into Jobs' role as a father. The mere reason for his approval of the biography was that he wanted his children to understand (after his death) why he wasn't there for them. "I wanted my kids to know me," Jobs was quoted as saying by Walter Isaacson, author of the biography. "I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did." The biography was called a "love letter" to his family. Perhaps his children would have rather his life have been the love letter, instead, they get a book. A tell-all explaining why he wasn't the father he could have been for them. Not in order to comfort them, but for the purpose, and I again quote, "I wanted them to know why and understand what I did." The legacy every child wishes for: dad puts in a book his attempt to justify why he wasn't there for me. Gee, thanks dad.
Now, turn the pages of the newspaper, away from the front page headline and go about ten pages back. A small obscure article. It was in last week's paper, but you probably missed it. Another individual passed away. He, too, contributed to society, but in a much different way. Five years after Steve Jobs was born, this man began drawing a well known and loved cartoon. We know his characters well, at least those of us born before the effects of Jobs' technology took over our lives. Characters like Billy, Jeffy, Dolly and P.J. and the unseen characters "Ida Know" and "Not Me." Bil Keane, 89, creator of "Family Circus" passed away last week. Nobody is quoting him or sharing his cartoons on Facebook. As a kid, I always read his cartoon first! Even before "Peanuts!" I loved the trouble the kids would get themselves into and the tender and often funny moments of life lessons! It was a sweet cartoon. Simple. It was that simplicity that Keane felt contributed to its staying power. "It's reassuring, I think, to the American public to see the same family ... We are, in the comics, the last frontier of good, wholesome family humor and entertainment," Keane said.
However, I submit, that, although "Family Circus" was based on his own family, it won't be his comic strip that will be his legacy. We probably won't read about him weeks, months, or even years after his passing ... but there is a group of people who will forever be inspired by him - his family. There will be no need for an authorized biography to help his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren understand his life - to understand him, period. There was no need to express through a published book for all the world to read what was whispered at bedtime, displayed through his choices, lived in front of his family, and said from his own lips: I love you! One of his son's was at his bedside the day he passed, but all of his five children, nine grandchildren, and his great-granddaughter were able to visit him the week before. "He said, 'I love you' and that's what I said to him, which is a great way to go out," Jeff Keane said of the last conversation he had with his father. "The great thing is Dad loved the family so much, so the fact that we all saw him, I think gave him great comfort and made his passing easy."
The Keane family will never have to wonder what life would have been like if their dad had made his family his priority. Because he did just that, they will forever live with his legacy - one of kindness, humility, integrity, and love. Their memories will be sweet. His drawings and sketches cherished, because they were penned with his hand - the same hand that guided them and led them and ultimately taught them that they were the most important part of his life. Nothing in the end to justify or explain. All that needed to be said was heard just before his last breaths.
I don't know about you - but that's what I want. I want my children to have a legacy to build their own lives upon. I want to begin now creating that foundation for them. I can't wait until things grow dark and weary and hire a writer to help me explain my misteps as a parent. I want the "now." I want the "now" to mess up and the "now" to make things right. I want the "now" to seek the Lord so those mess-ups are few and far between. I want the "now" to love on them and to assure them of my love. I want the "now" to create memories they will always keep and cherish. I don't want them to one day stand over my casket and wonder. I don't want them to be at a loss when it comes to answering the question of how my life inspired them. I don't want their memories of me to consist of voicemail messages and a life consumed by work. The Keane family will always know, because they have the memories to back it up - not just a book that's a best seller. My children will always know, too. My work will be in making memories and a lasting legacy. I would rather impact my children's hearts than thousands of lives around the world any given day.
Steve Jobs' personal history is one of fragmented families and the seemingly inability to prioritze one's personal life. Born in 1955 to unmarried Abulfattah John Jandali and graduate student Joanne Schieble, they were afraid and felt that keeping their baby boy would have been shameful to their families. Jobs was adopted, which is a bright spot in his story, but he never knew his biological parents nor ever attempted to contact them. That is understandable. People are different. Some find comfort in knowing who their parents are, while others are content in just pressing on, allowing the past to remain there, and deciding to not look back. His father, though, did express recently that he had tried to contact Jobs, but only by email. In August, Mr. Jandali (80 year old, casino boss) said, "This might sound strange, but I am not prepared, even if either of us was on our deathbed to pick up the phone and call him. Steve will have to do that as the Syrian pride in me does not want him to ever think I am after his fortune. I am not. I have my own money. What I don't have is my son ... and that saddens me." Sad, indeed.
Of Jobs' four children, one was born out of wedlock by his highschool sweetheart, and it was two years after the baby's birth that he would accept her as his own - only after a blood test proved she was his. He did get to know her and she even lived with him for a while. Now 33, Lisa Brennan-Jobs said of the contrast of life with her father verses the simple life with her mother, "My father was rich and renowed, and later, as I got to know him, went on vacations with him, and then lived with him a few years, I saw another, more glamourous world." Interesting, don't you think? Her time with her father gave her a perspective on wealth, not a father/daughter relationship and what it could, or should, be.
The now infamous authorized biography gives the reader an even clearer glimpse into Jobs' role as a father. The mere reason for his approval of the biography was that he wanted his children to understand (after his death) why he wasn't there for them. "I wanted my kids to know me," Jobs was quoted as saying by Walter Isaacson, author of the biography. "I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did." The biography was called a "love letter" to his family. Perhaps his children would have rather his life have been the love letter, instead, they get a book. A tell-all explaining why he wasn't the father he could have been for them. Not in order to comfort them, but for the purpose, and I again quote, "I wanted them to know why and understand what I did." The legacy every child wishes for: dad puts in a book his attempt to justify why he wasn't there for me. Gee, thanks dad.
Now, turn the pages of the newspaper, away from the front page headline and go about ten pages back. A small obscure article. It was in last week's paper, but you probably missed it. Another individual passed away. He, too, contributed to society, but in a much different way. Five years after Steve Jobs was born, this man began drawing a well known and loved cartoon. We know his characters well, at least those of us born before the effects of Jobs' technology took over our lives. Characters like Billy, Jeffy, Dolly and P.J. and the unseen characters "Ida Know" and "Not Me." Bil Keane, 89, creator of "Family Circus" passed away last week. Nobody is quoting him or sharing his cartoons on Facebook. As a kid, I always read his cartoon first! Even before "Peanuts!" I loved the trouble the kids would get themselves into and the tender and often funny moments of life lessons! It was a sweet cartoon. Simple. It was that simplicity that Keane felt contributed to its staying power. "It's reassuring, I think, to the American public to see the same family ... We are, in the comics, the last frontier of good, wholesome family humor and entertainment," Keane said.
However, I submit, that, although "Family Circus" was based on his own family, it won't be his comic strip that will be his legacy. We probably won't read about him weeks, months, or even years after his passing ... but there is a group of people who will forever be inspired by him - his family. There will be no need for an authorized biography to help his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren understand his life - to understand him, period. There was no need to express through a published book for all the world to read what was whispered at bedtime, displayed through his choices, lived in front of his family, and said from his own lips: I love you! One of his son's was at his bedside the day he passed, but all of his five children, nine grandchildren, and his great-granddaughter were able to visit him the week before. "He said, 'I love you' and that's what I said to him, which is a great way to go out," Jeff Keane said of the last conversation he had with his father. "The great thing is Dad loved the family so much, so the fact that we all saw him, I think gave him great comfort and made his passing easy."
The Keane family will never have to wonder what life would have been like if their dad had made his family his priority. Because he did just that, they will forever live with his legacy - one of kindness, humility, integrity, and love. Their memories will be sweet. His drawings and sketches cherished, because they were penned with his hand - the same hand that guided them and led them and ultimately taught them that they were the most important part of his life. Nothing in the end to justify or explain. All that needed to be said was heard just before his last breaths.
I don't know about you - but that's what I want. I want my children to have a legacy to build their own lives upon. I want to begin now creating that foundation for them. I can't wait until things grow dark and weary and hire a writer to help me explain my misteps as a parent. I want the "now." I want the "now" to mess up and the "now" to make things right. I want the "now" to seek the Lord so those mess-ups are few and far between. I want the "now" to love on them and to assure them of my love. I want the "now" to create memories they will always keep and cherish. I don't want them to one day stand over my casket and wonder. I don't want them to be at a loss when it comes to answering the question of how my life inspired them. I don't want their memories of me to consist of voicemail messages and a life consumed by work. The Keane family will always know, because they have the memories to back it up - not just a book that's a best seller. My children will always know, too. My work will be in making memories and a lasting legacy. I would rather impact my children's hearts than thousands of lives around the world any given day.
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