The Legacy You Leave

Written by Rick Beneteau


All You will leave behind forrepparttar world to remember is Your Legacy, so ask yourself:

Will you have earnedrepparttar 124053 respect of your peers andrepparttar 124054 admiration of your critics?

Will you have acted humbly atrepparttar 124055 peak of success and graceful inrepparttar 124056 face of defeat?

Will you have kept your childlike wonder and reveled inrepparttar 124057 beauty ofrepparttar 124058 world andrepparttar 124059 small miracles that each day brought?

Will you be remembered for how often you laughed and brought smiles torepparttar 124060 hearts of others?

Will small children andrepparttar 124061 elderly have been overjoyed to be around you?

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.

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