Posted by James Burlas on September 10, 2018:

Taxation- All four of us were taken trick-or-treating on Halloween by Dad because Mom was working. We went around our neighborhood but still wanted more candy. Dad said if I drive you to other neighbors I get a cut of your candy, we happily obliged and hopped in our van and almost doubled the stash by the end of the night. This was an invaluable lesson, if we wanted more, we had to pay. Be Patient- Raising 4 kids is not easy and it doesn't happen overnight. He took time with each of us, to develop and encourage our interests. Life is not all about one person and what that person wants and expects. Compromise is often part of the bigger picture. So we may have to wait our turn, appreciate that our priorities may not be the same as other peoples, and learn to keep our demands in check. Patience can involve having to find alternative routes to where we want to go, it can mean not necessarily achieving things in the way that we hoped or planned. It involves finding an inner discipline and attitude that is prepared to take the time and calmness to explore options, routes and choices that may not have been previously considered. Ultimately Dad taught me that good things are worth taking time over. Being a newlywed, his lessons in patience payoff every day. Be Honest- Honesty when you know you will be praised for speaking it is easy. But honesty when you know you will be in all kinds of trouble for telling the truth requires a lot of courage to tell it anyway. If my father said he would do something, you could consider it done. He lived the West Point Honor Code, it states "A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those that do." Be Loving- Love is the great neutralizer of negativity. He showed my mother love from the day that he met her. They both showed the four of us unconditional love since the day each one of us were born. His heart was so big that he wanted to love more. Veronica and Joe helped him to do so, by giving him 3 beautiful grandchildren. I'll be working on giving him more in the not-so-distant future. I will leave you with this reading from the book of John chapter 14: verses 1-4 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." I love you, Dad. We will soon be together again.

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