What’s Brewing – A Good and Lasting Tree

Tuesday morning I boarded a plane and headed for the place where my life began; Chicago. Something strange happens when I go to Chicago; my Midwest accent comes back, I begin craving Italian sausage sandwiches and Chicago dogs, I walk faster, talk faster, and lay awake at night pondering my roots. Maybe that’s because I see them in the faces of my cousins and my precious uncle – a man who at 93 still drives, still works, still plays golf, and has a harem of three incredible women, (he’s been a widow for 10 years), who still thinks he’s the cat’s pajamas. And he is.

Uncle Cliff is a man of many stories. A man, who with less than a high school diploma, managed to build homes and acquire properties, accomplish feats of heroism, and travel the world with the love of his life – my Aunt Jo. He’s a strong man with a determined spirit that thrives on problem solving and salivates at the thought of doing something he’s never done before. He loves life and lives it well. Ever the consummate gentleman, he never lets a lady open a door for herself, or pay the bill, or walk alone. His laugh is musical. His humor is tinged with clever teasing. His will is strong and his heart is tender. He’s a tall German/Norwegian man who’s fists are always ready to provide and protect all that he holds dear. He loves his sons to the point of tears.

When I look into my uncle’s crystal blue eyes I see all that makes him great, and I see where I came from and why I am the way I am. It makes me want to walk tall and live humbly, to love deeply and care gently, and to treasure these roots that prove the power of God who, with unwavering faithfulness, has grown a good and lasting tree deep into the soil of His amazing grace.

And I am blessed.

Love and joy, Sandy

What’s Brewing – A Good and Lasting Tree was first posted on September 7, 2015 at 5:42 am.
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