My dad was a Sargent Major in the military and served in World War Two under General Douglas MacArthur. He served in Japan, Italy, Germany, The Philippines and in North Africa. I recall that he told about almost being blown up after crossing a bridge in Italy. He was also in Nagasaki when the bomb was dropped on Japan. He said that the bomb destroyed everything. That he looked out and could not see anything alive not even a plant. He and the men that were with him had to be quarantined. He said the men with him  all died eventually of diseases like cancer. My dad also developed cancer later on. He must have been in Japan for a while because he learned Origami and loved to make little paper objects which we thought were fun. He liked to tell stories. He told about how he had to walk ten miles with no shoes on to get to school. I laugh now because I hate to even walk a few blocks with shoes on. My dad's father died in an accident when he was a child and dad had to go to work on the railroad.He usually told this story if we wanted anything to impress on us that he had to work for everything that he got. After my mother died when I was seven he had to work three jobs to paid for her hospital bills. He always got great tips on one of the jobs he worked. Many times he would fall asleep on the couch and we would find loads of coins under the cushions. We waited like birds of prey for him to get up from the couch. I don't think we ever thought about giving him back the money. Dad also worked hard around the house and was a jack-of-all-trades.He put  an addition on our house and did all household work like walls and lighting.  He built the cabinets, did floors and tiling, and painted in our house . He fixed the television, did plumbing, and electrical repairs. I wonder why today we have lost the ability to be more self-reliant. Dad always told us not to waste any food because millions of people were starving in China. If we complained about anything he told us that some little poor child somewhere would love to be in our shoes.Maybe some of you have heard similar words of wisdom. I remember that my dad had certain phrases that he loved to repeat over and over and that I used to be tired of listening to them. He liked the term "use your head" a lot and spoke about delayed gratification for financial success. Delayed gratification is a term that most people today might have a hard time coming to grips with. No one seems to want to wait for anything these days.

I Miss my Mom who died at 33 when I was seven.Some people get to experience  the love and expertise of their mother a bit longer. I have to think about the people who do not get to experience a mother's love at all. I am grateful that I got to watch her make homemade bread. I used to love the smell of it.  My mother loved to sing throughout the house and play the radio. I miss her singing.  My mother used to help anyone she could.  Several of her brothers and sisters, my aunts and uncles, lived at our house, no charge, to help them save for a better life.

  I miss my sister who died when I was about 9 or 10. She was eleven months younger than me. My sister used to always offer me candy even when I was reluctant to offer any of mine. Sometimes, as a child, I used to wonder why she was such a giving person. One morning I found her screaming and running. Her nightgown had caught fire. She received third degree burns and died shortly after that. My sister loved to sing and wanted to be a singer. I miss her singing. Both my mom and my sister were loving and charitable people. I experienced pain in their deaths but I also now realize that I was blessed to have experienced their love in my life.

 Pain may make us more aware or appreciative of the good things from God that are available to us now. It may be possible that every time we have a painful thing happen to us that it causes us to reflect on it and change. Hopefully that change is toward the good and toward God, the source of everything. I accept that change may sometimes be painful. I realize that no one is here on earth forever.We are all in some kind of transient state. We have to enjoy every day, to make the most of every day, and to learn from each relationship. I would now like to thank God for the good memories that we have to sustain us in painful times.