Sunday, February 23, 2025
A Lesson from Gary
Growing up, I didn’t get to see my cousin Jeff as often as I would’ve liked. He and his dad, my Uncle Gary, lived out in Tulsa while I was in California. But when they came to their beach house in Huntington, Jeff and I made up for lost time like any good pair of troublemakers would.
We were inseparable during those visits—always up to something, always pushing the boundaries just a little too far. One night, we stayed out on the pier way past the time we were supposed to be back. It was after 10, and the ocean breeze couldn’t cool down the heat of the trouble we knew we were in.
And then, there came Gary, yelling for us and dragging us back home.
I was terrified. My dad was the strict, spank-you kind of guy, and I was sure Gary would call him. I was convinced I was about to get the beating of my life.
But that’s not what happened.
Instead, about an hour later, Gary sat me down. He didn’t yell, and he didn’t threaten me. He just talked. He explained why they were worried and how much they cared. His words weren’t about punishment—they were about understanding, love, and responsibility. That conversation hit me harder than any punishment ever could have.
I never forgot that moment. It changed me.
Gary didn’t know it then, but the way he treated me that night shaped the kind of person—and later, the kind of parent—I would become. My son is 25 now, and I’ve never once raised a hand to him. Instead, I raised him with communication, just like Gary showed me. I made sure he understood that expressing feelings, fears, and love openly is what truly matters.
So, thank you, Gary. You taught me something I didn’t even know I needed to learn. You made me a better person, and you helped me become the father I always wanted to be.
