May 31

Fair, Firm and Friendly. Are we forgetting the three F’s?

By Barry Clermont in Leadership, Personal Development
May 31, 2017

When I first went into management, my manager at the time gave me a piece of advice I never forgot. He said “always remember The Three F’s: Fair, Firm and Friendly. In that order.

Fair, Firm and Friendly

This approach really applies to all areas in life. Whether dealing with a partner, children or staff, being fair firm and friendly builds trust. Trust leads to more open minds. Open minds lead to agreement and acceptance.

Fair

Being fair doesn’t mean giving in to unreasonable demands or expectations.

This is where communication skills can be critical. If someone were to approach you saying that you were mean and unreasonable in a situation, it’s likely you would become defensive and the fight or flight response would kick in. I would bet that most in a position of authority will lean to “fight” mode. When we are in fight mode, it’s difficult to “hear” the other person. We become focused on winning rather than finding a fair place of compromise. By the same token, always conceding doesn’t mean the resolution is fair and/or balanced.

Being fair means being willing to listen to your “opponent”. There is the root of the problem. I don’t believe in problems, just challenges. Rather than treating the other person as an opponent, treat them as a partner you are collaborating with to resolve a challenge.

What if instead of hearing “you were mean and unreasonable”, you chose to hear “my feelings are hurt and I don’t understand why you said or did what you did”? The words are just the words but think about what message the other person is trying to convey. Yes, it take two to tango but someone has to lead. Are you a leader?

Firm

Being fair doesn’t mean being soft in your position. People need to know what your values are and where you stand. It can sometimes be difficult to separate yourself from the role you need to play. When we are in the role of manager, there are expectations that have to be met. As long as you have been fair in establishing expectations, it’s reasonable to be firm in a resolution process.

When expectations and appropriate penalties or resolutions are agreed upon up front, there is a need to follow through. Now, let’s make sure to apply fair to the circumstances. Sometimes, there can be mitigating circumstances but if there are none, it’s fair to be firm. It’s not fair to let people dump their garbage all over you.

Friendly

Through all of this, it’s important to be “friendly”. We are all people and have feelings. When you approach someone with a challenge and an honest intent to find an equitable solution, it promotes a feeling of safety and leads to more open dialogue. I’m not saying you should be best beer buddies, just approach discussion with honesty and integrity. Collaborate to seek a fair solution without being mean about it.

Being friendly is not the same as bowing down to someone in deference. It’s really about being respectful of others as individuals and valuing their thoughts and opinions whether you agree with them or not.

Always remember fair, firm and friendly. In that order!

Make it a great day!

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for my mentors. I’m thankful for opportunities to grow. I’m thankful for each new day. What are you thankful for today?

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May 05

Trump Effect on Markets, Money and the Economy

By Barry Clermont in Finance, Social Commentary
May 5, 2017

How will Trump affect the financial markets, money markets and the economy? Regardless of what you think of the man, he is already showing a positive effect on all of the above!

I’ll admit to being a little lazy, this is from my Canadian perspective. For the most part, US markets and economy usually demonstrate similar patterns. I’m not going to treat the US separately for this purpose.

Trump The Markets

Trump was elected November 8, well, into November 9, 2016 by the time it was over. At close of day on November 8, 2016 the Toronto Stock Exchange closed at 14,656.84. A gain of 0.52%.

Just over a week after the election, the market closed last night at 14,733.22. During that 8 day period, the market shifted not much more than one percent up or down on the most volatile of days. As of May 4, 2015, the market was at $15, 396.70. This means the market was up 5% in six months.

There was a more drastic change August 28 to September 17 in 2008 when the market tumbled from 13,750.48 to 11,877.69, a change of 1,872.79 points. This was a drop of 13.6%. (These numbers were calculated using TSX historical market numbers.) >>>Click here to check the numbers

So, what is the net Trump effect? Not much. This isn’t to say there can’t be. As always, we need to be aware of world events and consider them when making investment decisions. The key is to consider all factors but not in isolation and with a view to the long term.

Trump the Dollars

When Donald Trump won the election, it had a positive effect on the US dollar. Because our dollar is mostly measured against the value of the US dollar, it appears to be Canada’s loss. But, is it?

Trump the Economy

We won’t know the effect of Trump on the economy for some time yet. Typically, the markets are a leading indicator for the economy. Right now, there isn’t enough time passed for a fair measure but the short term numbers seem to be pointing to little change or maybe a positive outlook. We will just have to wait and see.

All The Noise About Trump

Social media has been going nuts with all things Trump for the last year or so. He’s going to deport everyone back to their country or build a fence across the US/Mexico border. As far as I can tell, there has been detainment and yes, it’s more difficult at the border but all in all, life goes on. Just a little louder.

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to tire of it and really don’t pay a lot of attention. I believe most of the noise is because he wants to keep everyone distracted so he can achieve his objectives. Are you going to let him?

Go ahead. Trump that!

Make it a great day,

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful to be Canadian. I’m thankful it looks like the Trump noise is dying down. I’m thankful for spring showers. What are you thankful for today?

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Mar 10

Sales and Service: Land of Promises and Land of Broken Promises!

By Barry Clermont in Business Tips, Marketing
March 10, 2017

Sales people are forever making promises and service people always let them down. We need to remember how much we need each other or we will all go broke!

Sales: The Land of Promises

Have you ever worked in sales and had to work with the service department to keep customers satisfied with your post-sales support?

I have been in sales for a number of years. I learned, sometimes the hard way, just how much I needed the service department’s support in order to be successful. Here are just a few things that can make a world if difference:

Product knowledge;
Interpersonal skills;
Technical skills.

And those are just a few.

When I was designing small to medium business technology solutions, I would often spend time with technicians in the service department bouncing ideas off them before making a pitch to a client. That feedback prevented me from embarrassing myself or them in the eyes of the client.

The salesperson is the public face of the company. They are expected to:

Identify need;
Clarify need by asking probing questions;
Handle objections;
Help client make a buying decision.

It’s when this process breaks down that the land of broken promises starts to develop. One unanswered or unasked question at a time.

Land of Broken Promises

In an ideal world, the service department is your before and after sales support that gives you good decision making information before the sale and then keeps the customer satisfied with your solution after the sale.

When we land in Broken Promises, it’s usually because of at least one of these things:

Bad technical information;
Poor Communication;
Unexpected problems during delivery;
Unrealistic expectations;
Dishonesty.

Information and Communication

Bad technical information isn’t necessarily the fault of your technical/service support. You may not have asked the right questions or truly understood what the client needed. You need to ask enough questions that the client almost starts to become annoyed. Then you have to do the same to your technical/service support people!

It’s better to have a client tell you they are not willing to go through the pain to achieve their objective, or a technician to tell you your plan won’t work, than you have to go through the pain of resolving a conflict with the risk of having an unsatisfied client out there telling everyone their experience. It takes 10 client success stories to make up for the one that got away!

Unexpected problems are usually the result of not asking enough questions. There could be a mixture of generations of technology and the client forgot how old something was but it is an important part of their business. This caused a problem with your solution but guess what? You’re the professional. You are supposed to know everything. At least, that’s what the client believes.

Expectations

Clients may have unrealistic expectations. You did such a great job “selling” your solution, they expect it to solve all their problems without a hitch. This is a good place to pre-handle objections. For example, I had a client ask me if I could I could guarantee they would never have a problem with me or my company. My response was that this is a long term relationship and I can guarantee that we will face a challenge at some time. The difference is that I won’t hide from or run from a problem. Note earlier I used the word challenge? There is no such thing as a problem!

Set expectations up front. How will cost be handled? Build in a bumper and be clear it’s to allow for the unexpected. Oops! I guess that’s expected now. Be clear that you are willing to face up to disagreements as long as they are handled with respect, and so on.

Dishonesty is a real problem. Many times it’s the client that is guilty. They knew about a potential challenge but hoped it wouldn’t show up. Out of embarrassment, they may try to transfer the guilt to you. Don’t get caught up in the blame game. If you made a mistake, own it and ask forgiveness while proposing a solution that shouldn’t really cost your client. If it’s the client, don’t apologize but recognize this is one of those “challenges” you expected you might face. Offer a way for the client to save face with as little cost to them as possible.

The Land of Broken Promises is a horrible place. Try your best to stay out of there and help your team support people stay there with you. You are the leader. Lead!

Make it a great day,

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for great teachers. I’m thankful for great clients. I’m thankful for opportunities to learn. What are you thankful for today?

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Mar 03

Family Affairs, The Years Just Melt Away

By Barry Clermont in family, Personal
March 3, 2017

Family affairs can be painful. Or, they can be refreshing and rejuvenating! How do you feel when family gets together and you meet people you haven’t seen in years or maybe even never met?

Family Affairs Can Be Fun!

Family affairs are an opportunity to reconnect. Sometimes there are issues that have lived beneath the surface for some time and we just needed time to process and heal. Other times, life just gets in the way. Getting together can be a time to mend fences and rediscover each other. Then the fun begins!

What do I call a “family affair”?

Christmas parties or gathering for meals;
Funerals (Too many of those lately!);
Weddings (Looking forward to the next generation!);
Birthdays
Travelers (Long distance visits.).

Christmas is my favourite time of year because most of us are in a giving and forgiving mood. I love seeing family and I find most make the effort to connect during this season. Believe it or not, even funerals can turn out to be fun. They give us a reason to get together in one place and share our feelings. I like to share fun memories of the person we lost and this generally results in feeling much better than when I walked in. Weddings! Dance the night away!

Travelers can give us an excuse to connect. This one is more of a choice. I recently had a great experience because I chose to overcome some discomfort to make the connection. My uncle was traveling from almost the other side of the country and I hadn’t seen him in a couple of years. To his credit, he is the one that most often comes to us.

In this case, I had been going through some physical discomfort and connecting meant I had to extend my day, drive a combined four hours and have a really short night’s sleep before going back to work the next morning. When I heard that an aunt I hadn’t seen in over 20 years was also going to be there, I decided this had to happen. I could always take an extra pill for the pain and call in sick if I had to!

Why Should You Make Time For Family Affairs?

You should make time for family affairs because you never know who might show up or what you might learn!

When my uncle said he was coming in from out west, he posted on Facebook that we should all meet at my nephew’s bar in Hamilton. Serve Ping Pong Bar & Lounge at 7PM. I showed up about a half hour early and no sign of anyone. The staff had no idea we were coming. Oops? Did I have the wrong date? I checked Facebook and verified I got it right. About 10 minutes after, they showed up. The rest of the family started to arrive closer to 7:30. Figures, the out of town people got there first!

Who showed up?

My aunt and uncle (Dad’s brother) from half way across the country;
Me from Barrie. (Hamilton folks think that’s on the other side of the world!);
My aunt (Dad’s sister) that I hadn’t seen in over 20 years, and her husband I had never met;
My cousin (His Dad was my Dad’s brother) and all of his family;
My sister, her husband and kids.

Ironically, my sister is the only one who almost always shows up and the rest of us are almost never there due to distance and sometimes just life. I am so glad I made it! I would have missed a number of people I hadn’t seen in years.

Amazing what you might learn!

My sister learned more about my deceased grandfather than she ever knew, and maybe didn’t want to!
I learned more about why I rarely saw my aunt, not what I expected.
My aunt, who divorced my uncle years ago, recognized the closeness of the Clermont family.
I have some amazing young cousins!

I have no idea what, if anything others may have learned but I would put money on learning everyone had a great time and learned a lot.

When I arrived in Hamilton, I put enough money in the parking meter for two hours. I didn’t leave until over four hours after I got there. That’s a good measure of whether or not I had a good time! Trust me, when you have to drive an hour and a half home after traveling and a long day at work, you don’t stay later than you have to unless you are willing to pay the price. I got three hours sleep last night and don’t regret a minute of the time I spent with my family.

Next time you are invited to a family affair, think carefully before you say no. You may be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. When you get together at family affairs like this one, the years just melt away and you leave feeling rejuvenated!

Make it a great day!

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? Family Affairs! Serve Ping Pong Bar & Lounge. Sliders! What are you thankful for today?

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Feb 20

How can you say no if you don’t know what you are saying no to?

By Barry Clermont in Business, family, Opportunity
February 20, 2017

Have you ever caught yourself saying no to something a friend tries to ask you to look at when you don’t really even no what they are asking?

Is Saying No Automatic?

Most of us have friends and family who are involved in things we know nothing about. They may try to involve us and ask us to take a look at whatever it is.

It may be a volunteer organization close to their heart.
It may be a sport they are passionate about.
It may be a product or service they are excited about.
It may be a business opportunity.

How many times have you caught yourself being a bit of a crab and saying no automatically just because they have approached you about something before that you weren’t interested in and expect the same this time?

You may have just missed the answer to a problem you have or maybe even one you didn’t realize you have. By saying no, you have sent your friend or family member the message you don’t care enough about them to hear what they have to say and that you don’t care enough about yourself and family to make sure you consider all options for a solution. Are you being fair to yourself?

Is it No or Not Right Now?

Before you can answer this question, you need to take the time to understand what the question really is. If I ask you if you want to sign up for a LegalShield membership or whether you need online marketing tools, I need to understand if whatever I want to show you is a fit and you need to understand what I have to offer. That’s the first step.

Your friend or family member may be asking you to participate in a business opportunity. If you answer “there is no way I would ever get involved in one of those pyramid schemes”, there are two issues. First, you don’t understand what multi-level marketing is, second, you have possibly closed a door without looking through to see what is on the other side and denied yourself a potential solution to a current problem or future opportunity.

Once you have at least taken the time to hear your friend or family member, you have a better idea of what you are saying no to. Now it’s fair to decide if it’s no or not right now.

Make it a great day!

Barry

P.S What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for a new day. I’m thankful for people with open minds. I’m thankful for you! What are you thankful for today?

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Feb 12

Knowing What I Know About Heaven

By Barry Clermont in Faith, Spiritual, Uncategorized
February 12, 2017

I know nothing about heaven but what the bible and the Catholic Church tells us but this song gives me a certain peace as the February blahs set in and I find myself missing some of the people I have lost in the last few years.

Knowing What I Know About Heaven

Someone posted this on Facebook recently and I just found this song by Guy Penrod and Sarah Darling to be very soothing for the soul.

I consider myself a pretty good Catholic and to have a fairly strong faith. That doesn’t mean I never question. There are days when I ask myself how God could take my son at the age of 23 or even my mother at 67.

In 2010, my mother had a fall that lead to my father having a stroke. Mom was a day from coming home from rehab when she had a heart attack. They decided to do emergency surgery. She never came out of a coma and passed away three months before my son who was fighting cancer at that time. I have to say, it was certainly a test of my faith.

Knowing what I know about heaven gives me strength on those days when I feel sorry for myself and find myself missing those who have gone before us.

References and Resources

Getting Through, Not Over

People sometimes ask how you get over losing a child. The reality is you don’t. The pain is something that raises it’s head on occasion. The key is to recognize that it’s OK to hurt. It’s natural and denying the pain just makes things worse for you and the people around you.

We are all different but I find music works to change my mood when I get into a funk. Songs like What I Know About Heaven are particularly helpful when I’m missing someone. They may cause a little short term pain but I find they lead to relief. Kind of like a deep tissue massage. The pain hurts when they are pressing on it but the relief after is so worth it.

The last couple of months before my son died, I started a memorial web site. Click the photo to see the result. It was almost like therapy. Because the focus was on how great he was and the joy he brought, it helped manage the pain of knowing we were going to lose him.

Sometimes it’s ironic how the world works. When my mother passed away, I was going through some of her things and came across a poem my grandfather had sent my grandmother during the Second World War. It was called A Child of Mine. I’ll tell you the floodgates opened but because of my faith, it gave me peace.

Stop trying to “get over it” and focus on getting through it. Find whatever it is that works for you. It may be soft music and a dark room, a long drive or a workout at the gym. Whatever it is that works for you except booze or drugs, do it.

If you found this blog helpful then I achieved my goal and thank you for taking the time to read. Please feel free to share with anyone you think might benefit.

Make it a great day!

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for avenues to express myself. I’m thankful for a wonderful, supportive family. I’m thankful for my faith.

What are you thankful for today?

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Nov 11

Remembrance Day. Why Do We Still Need To Remember?

By Barry Clermont in Social Commentary
November 11, 2016

Remembrance Day was originally to commemorate the end of the First World War. Then came Hitler and the Second World War. And Korea, and Vietnam, and Afghanistan. We need to remember so that we can be prepared to stand up for our way of life.

Remembrance Day 2016

I was at services in downtown Barrie today. There were many people there ranging in age from infant to those who appeared to be in their 90’s. For some reason, this year is the first time I noticed such acknowledgement of emergency services in addition to traditional armed forces.

Our local MP Alex Nuttal, Leader of the Ontario Conservative Party Patrick Brown and Mayor of Barrie Jeff Lehman were all there and came to meet with people at the Royal Canadian Legion after the parade. There were many military personnel and veterans there to share in the camaraderie. I’m guessing there were other political representatives and influential people there but these are the ones I know or recognize. I’m so glad to see politics set aside on this day!

Why Do We Need to Remember?

We live in a free and democratic society in North America. That means we can speak reasonably without impunity. Do you have any idea how many people in this world can’t speak their mind for fear of their life?

My grandfathers were both involved in protecting our rights so that I wouldn’t have to. Admittedly, that gives me a pretty strong bias. I was lucky enough to have them survive to tell the stories. Ironically, they didn’t tell many. I remember asking my one grandfather why he didn’t like talking about the war. I thought all old soldiers did. He answered, “I was training boys to die, that’s not something to brag about”. What they did do is teach me to be proud of my country and our way of life, and be ready to defend her.

Sadly, there are many sons and daughters today having to do it again. If we choose to forget what has almost happened a few times now, we could lose our voices and rights before we even realized it was happening.

Lest We Forget

This is not just about the atrocities of The War to End All Wars. The problem is that war didn’t end it.

There have been many wars over the years and in most cases, for very similar reasons. To prevent some nut from forcing their ideals onto others. Just look at the actions of Daesh today. If they aren’t stopped, they will eventually take root in the western world.

Could you imagine if we took the position that it’s none of our business? The US almost made that mistake in the Second World War. Sadly, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a blessing in disguise. If that hadn’t happened, our military might be doing the goose step today.

Be vigilant. Be involved.

Lest we forget.

Make it a great day,

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for my way of life. I’m thankful for those who went before me to protect it. I’m thankful for those who continue to give their lives and limbs to protect our country so my children and grandchildren will be safe and free.

What are you thankful for today?

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Oct 30

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM): Why You Need to Love the “Onesie, Twosies”!

By Barry Clermont in Business Tips, Leadership
October 30, 2016

“Onesie, Twosies” are critical for the success of your MLM business. This is where the bulk of your numbers will come from.

MLM and the Numbers

As with any type of sales organization, successful sales strategies are all about the numbers. You need to fill the funnel to get results. How do you do that? By sharing. Tell stories that resonate with people so that they will want to know more about your product or service and maybe even join you in your business.

The more people you get into the funnel, the more opportunity you have to find the “onesies and twosies” that may be interested. Who knows? You might even stumble upon a superstar along the way.

Love the “Onsie, Twosies”!

Many of us get caught up in finding superstars to work with us. Be careful, you could miss the forest for the trees! Your next superstar may be the person you meet that is currently involved in another MLM opportunity that is only producing one or two sales a month. Worse yet, these future stars may already be in your organization and you are ignoring them because they are a “onsie, twosie”.

There are two key reasons not to ignore these people.

Treat them poorly and they will take a lot of your organization out.
This is were the bulk of your sales and recruits come from.

Finding Their Stride

Everyone finds their own stride in MLM or any business. Yes, we all have “systems” that should work for everyone. Eventually. The challenge for many is finding what fits and how to make that work for them. This is a people business and, as challenging as it is, we are people. That means we carry baggage from the past and the feelings that go with that.

Your job is to help them identify what they can make work for them. That may mean you have some things to learn before you can help them. For example, your recruit may have a greater technology expertise than you and want to incorporate those skills into their marketing strategies.

Rather than insisting this is a “belly to belly business”, take the time to understand that you actually both agree and help your recruit to develop a strategy they can be comfortable with that results in meetings with actual people and sales. By the way, you may need to understand that “belly to belly” should translate to “face to face” and that doesn’t necessarily mean in physical proximity. We are in a global community today. Learn to communicate in a way that people understand.

Who knows? Your recruit may actually teach you something, if you let them.

Created using Canva and Brainy Quote. Click graphic to learn about free tools.

Why You Need “Onsie, Twosies”.

Very few associates are likely to produce high numbers on a consistent basis. Yes, we all need at least three across and we will find them over time. In the meantime, most will produce next to nothing, many may produce one or two a month. This is just a reality in sales, whether MLM or otherwise.

If you need 25 points in a month, and you are not doing all the sales yourself, it’s most likely that one or two might produce 5-10 and you can only hope that 10-15 others might produce one or two. That means “onsie, twosies” can make or break you!

It’s very tempting to turn your focus to “the producers”. Be careful how you define “producers”! Remember to be inclusive with regard to your “onsie, twosies”. First, one of them may be your developing superstar. Second, you need the numbers to fill the funnel.

Can you demonstrate leadership by letting your recruits teach you what you need in order for you to teach them?

Make it a great day!

Barry

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for my GVO tools. I’m thankful for true leadership. I’m thankful for people willing to “listen” to my rambling.

What are you thankful for today?

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Oct 10

Memories can be painful. Should you feel guilty for sharing?

By Barry Clermont in Personal
October 10, 2016

Painful memories, we all have them.

We live in a very “social” world today and often don’t think twice about sharing what used to be very private thoughts in a public space. This blog is exactly that. I share for two reasons. One, to release some of my own pain. Two, to let others know they are not alone and it’s OK to grieve.

Do I feel guilty for sharing? Not in the least, nor should you.

Painful Memories

I don’t know about you, but I try to avoid painful memories. Except, there are some that are actually beautiful and lead to healing. Today is a trigger.

10-10-10 is day I will never forget and the anniversary of that day often compels me to want to release some of the pain associated with Thanksgiving.

Today is the six year anniversary of the death of our son at the age of 23. He would be turning 30 on November 26th of this year. This day always reminds us that we lost a beautiful soul and our granddaughter was left without her father. She was five when he passed away. I can distinctly remember her asking “please don’t close the door” when we went to close the coffin. Now, that’s a painful memory.

I use a trick to get myself through those moments. Those painful memories trigger the many beautiful memories that his 23 years in this world brought us. Our first Christmas together and throwing socks at the kids to wake them up. Learning to ski so I could ski with him. Him holding his younger sister when she was born and being so proud he was a BIG brother now. Traveling to soccer tournaments all over Ontario with him. Becoming a young father and watching him do some of the things with his daughter that we used to do. And the list goes on…

Thanksgiving

It’s rather ironic that our son left us Thanksgiving weekend in 2010. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for the 23 years God gave us with our son. I’m thankful for a beautiful granddaughter who will be a lasting testament to her father. I’m thankful for my faith that helps me through these times.

Maybe it was God’s design that he took our son on this day. Thanksgiving is about focusing on what we are thankful for. We could wallow in self pity but our son would be very disappointed in us. He said to his mother “Don’t cry too long”.

Just like today, Thanksgiving 2010 was beautiful and sunny. We were surrounded by loving family and friends. I remember that one friend in particular said don’t worry about dinner and she showed up with a complete roast turkey dinner. We fed two families that day and shared some wonderful memories together in celebration of the life just lost. The picture here is one of a bush that friends gave us in memory of him. The red bush beside the lilacs was about two feet high when we planted it. Today, it’s over 15 feet!

As I sit here writing this blog, my wife is talking with our younger son who headed out a couple of days ago on The Great Trail. Him and his sister’s dog are biking this trail from Tweed, Ontario to Mont Tremblant in Quebec. I wonder if he subconsciously chose this time? He has traveled multiple countries and learned two languages in the last six years since his brother died.

We believe his brother guides and protects him. Many beautiful memories are being made as a result of his passing. For this, we are thankful.

To Share or Not to Share

Memories can be very painful. Is it OK to share when you are hurting? Of course it is! In fairness to others, try to share the positive with the painful. We hurt when we think about our loss but we are so thankful for the 23 years we had and the legacy he left us. He has had a very positive impact on our lives and left us a beautiful granddaughter. I can only hope to leave a legacy like he has.

For now, I hold onto the thought that he plays “The Beautiful Game” whenever he wants and his pain is gone. He watches over us and his daughter and I’m sure he puts a smile on my mother’s face (she left us three months before).

Until we meet again son…Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,

Dad

P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for my faith. I’m thankful for my wonderful, supportive wife. I’m thankful for all of my children.

What are you thankful for today?

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