Tim

The idea behind my story tree is that we all have small mustard seed faith and when we let it go/ grow we realize how we can celebrate the gift of life of all the precious people given over to our care.

Tim is my middle son. He was named after a best friend that I had in college by the name of Tim. Tim was full of fun. He could be seen juggling four or five eggs in the college cafeteria. We enjoyed playing tennis together he was just a tad bit better than me. We played for hours together and yes it was Tim that taught me to juggle.

My son Tim was born the day before Easter which made Easter a day of remembrance in preacher days. It was as if in a metaphysical sense the stone of mystery was rolled away from the tomb. It became an adventure when there was a bit of car trouble on the way to the hospital. We stopped over at a parishoner's home and got the hospital just in time. The one that was remarked on was the big feet that he had, which was mentioned by the nurse. Tim was jaundiced which worried us a bit until we heard that a lot of infants came out that way.

Tim can be likened to a playful otter. One never knows what to expect next. The only sure thing is the big grin that attends anything that he does. He has made me proud in all manner of ways. I was most touched to the point of tears by some flowers he for me when he was in grade school. He has a great gift for caring. Others love to be around Tim because of his penchant for caring and fun. When he was in Junior high we spent hours hitting tennis balls back and forth at the place known as the fire station park. Over time he became the first singles player on the tennis team and brings out the best in me whenever we play.

He must of got his penchant for playing chess from my dad. I am not sure he ever played with my dad. It would have been a good match. I had the privilege of going to his chess tournaments and chess club meetings. I gave him a chessboard as a wedding gift in case anyone wants to give him a game or two.

I think his main gift has always been his love for music. He plays from the heart on his violin and encourages others to develop his same love/passion for playing. I wish I could say I was an inspiration. I often got frustrated when he did not want to go to lessons. I have been inspired by his playing and am glad that he can share with others his musical presence.

Favorite stories:
There are many favorite stories. I had fun seeing him drive Dad's old Volvo after I brought it all the way from Massachusetts with my brother Glenn. I am not sure how old the car was. I am sure that it is in car heaven somewhere.
I could often be seen going to music lessons with a brilliant violinist by the name of Furbag. Tim could never seem to get it right in this guys eyes. It was hard to watch Tim playing his best and then having this guy show him how it should be performed. I knew just how to change the perception of what was going on. I shared with Furbag that Tim was an expert tennis player and he just needed to sort through how to make music fun. After that the lessons were tolerable and hopeful. It is good to know that Tim used this experience to share with others musical bliss.