The Ice Cream 'Comb' Story

Written by Rick Beneteau


She was three. Just released from a far-away hospital after life threatening brain surgery, ready to take onrepparttar world again. I was happy just to have her back. My little "Mr. Clean" (shaven head and hoop earrings) and me driving along to our local mall. Hanging out with dad day. I recall her words as if it were yesterday.

"Daddy, can I get a treat?"

As she was understandably spoiled (if there is such a thing), I replied "ok honey, but just ONE". Her eyes beamed likerepparttar 124052 Fourth of July in anticipation of that something only she knew atrepparttar 124053 time.

We drove around torepparttar 124054 new end ofrepparttar 124055 mall onrepparttar 124056 normal seek-and-destroy mission of capturing a parking place. After all, it was Saturday. We landed a fair distance from our destination, and began walking hand-in-hand towardsrepparttar 124057 entrance, her pace gaining momentum with each tiny step. A few feet fromrepparttar 124058 doors she broke loose and ran hands-first intorepparttar 124059 thick wall of glass, trying with everything she had to swingrepparttar 124060 big doors open. No luck. With a little assistance, she 'did it' and triedrepparttar 124061 very same thing atrepparttar 124062 second set of doors.

It was then that I asked her what she wanted for her treat. Without hesitation, she matter-of-factly said "an ice-cream comb fromrepparttar 124063 ice-cream store". Ok,repparttar 124064 goal was set and we were inrepparttar 124065 mall!

But hold on! What was this? Atrepparttar 124066 end of what was just an ordinary looking lane of retail chain outlets she spied something new- this huge fountain, water shooting who knows how high intorepparttar 124067 air. The new goal line!

She ran, and I walked (don't ya just hate it when parents let their kids run wild in public?), and we arrived atrepparttar 124068 spectacle at aboutrepparttar 124069 same time. The turbulent noise was almost deafening. "Daddy, can I make a wish, can I make a wish?" she screamed as she jumped withrepparttar 124070 kind of pure joy we've all long since forgotten.

"Sure honey, but that will be YOUR TREAT you know" I explained (gotta be firm with these kind of things).

She agreed.

I fumbled around in my pocket and pulled out what I think was a dime (big spender) and placed it in her outstretched hand. She cupped it tightly, closed her eyes and grimaced, formulating her wish. I stared at that little scrunched-up face and said my own kind of prayer of thanks, feeling so blessed to still have this ball of energy in my life. And then like a shooting star,repparttar 124071 coin was flung intorepparttar 124072 foaming water and with it, her wish.

The "IF" Word

Written by Rick Beneteau


I recall as a child being mildly scolded after coming home from Kindergarten and telling my mother all aboutrepparttar new word I had learned -repparttar 124051 "F" word. Spray painted across some garage door onrepparttar 124052 way to school, I guess I thought it sounded like a neat addition to my vocabulary. Not!

Now, as an adult, there's a word that doesn't quite haverepparttar 124053 same phonetic ring, but sticks out as much asrepparttar 124054 aforementioned expletive whenever I hear it. It'srepparttar 124055 "IF" word!

As human beings, almost all of us have been raised inrepparttar 124056 genre of past generations replete with allrepparttar 124057 innocent but self-limiting behavior. And there's no better word to exemplify these stunting characteristics than "IF". "IF" only I had done this. "IF" things were just different now. Whatrepparttar 124058 real "F" word is torepparttar 124059 vocabulary, "IF" is torepparttar 124060 spirit!

The mere subconscious mention of this word, and phrases such as "I wish" puts us into that conscience state-of-mind where we believe we are powerless. Powerless to change what we in fact haverepparttar 124061 power to change. Once we believe it, we act accordingly and then of course, we become powerless.

Many of you who have read me inrepparttar 124062 past know that I don't preachrepparttar 124063 rhetorical "anything is possible" gospel, because only truly reachable things are. I try to bring a realistic plate torepparttar 124064 table. However, I do believe and firmly, that our minds and our spirits are infinitely stronger than most of us believe. Taken inrepparttar 124065 reverse and torepparttar 124066 extreme, we can be our own worst enemies!

Why? Again, because we have been immersed inrepparttar 124067 misguidance of our ancestry. Patterns of learned behavior permeate both our aware and unaware beings and sabotage our very existence. Growth is almost impossible when we believe we can't, or, believe not to believe.

A few years ago I was involved inrepparttar 124068 writing and production of a CD of motivational and inspirational music. Called "On My Way", it walkedrepparttar 124069 listener through many dimensions of personal growth and "good stuff" for career success. One song that was not recorded forrepparttar 124070 project, was entitled "I Will" and it would be most appropriate for me to sharerepparttar 124071 lyric with you here:

I WILL

Sometimesrepparttar 124072 hardest thing Is simply to decide To makerepparttar 124073 choice to change your life To change it from inside The journey's uneventful With waters calm and still Never clear destinations Until you say - I Will

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