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“The Best of the Best”

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Today, my Assistant Coach and I drove ten high school women’s lacrosse players (two of them were our daughters) up to Northwestern University for “The Best of the Best” Women’s Lacrosse Camp which runs through Friday. Top players from all around the country gather at this clinic which is led by the Northwestern Team who has won the NCAA title the last four years in a row. Last year only our two daughters, Steph and Maddi went. This year with ten of our girls going, we expect it to make a big impact on our team!

As a former youth minister who has travelled lots of places with high school youth, I learned something today…….high school girls are a lot easier to travel with than boys. They talk and they laugh, but generally are well behaved, and I didn’t need to turn and say “stop it” once! They are a pretty good bunch, and I not only appreciate their respect, but their dedication to the team and the sport. I am excited for them to be there.

Of course the day has been exhausting (4+ hours each way) but it was well worth it. As I look at my life I can see that I have not just been blessed by family and friends, but also by other people brought into my life by my kids. I have talked about the Lacrosse Community before here in Noblesville…..they never disappoint me and always amaze me. But the girls, and their parents, really affirm all the hard work we have put into this. They are wonderful kids on and off the field, but just when I think they have plateaued, the amaze me again.

I am sure the girls, while they are away in that dorm all together at camp, are going to be miserable because they miss us terribly….right! (Oh that even made me laugh!) But I know we miss them. I suppose it’s just good practice for what is coming our way. Just yesterday Steph was in preschool, watching Barney, and showing me how she could color in between the lines. Now she is driving, dating, and hanging out at a college all week. That little girl can still be sweet, all of them can I am sure, but when they put on those goggles and grab their sticks, they seem nothing less than intimidating. That’s how they want it, but they are all great kids.

Anyway, off to bed I go. Tomorrow is full of meetings and I am pretty wiped out from the day. I will need a good night’s sleep to make it through tomorrow. But I had to mention “The Best of the Best.” Some people think it’s a camp…..I know it’s our team. And I do not think you could ever convince me otherwise!

Nite and God Bless!

Tom+

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No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears….oh my!!!

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Today, June 23rd, was an important day in my life….it always is. On this day in 1989 I was ordained to the diaconate. Yep, it’s the 19th anniversary of my ordination.

But more important than even that is that today is my grandfather’s birthday. My grandfather passed away in 1996, but he was truly the architect of my life, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. He and I spent a lot of time with each other, and yesterday when Ben was wearing a number 34 jersey for pajamas, I thought about how my grandfather would have loved that…..after all 34 was worn by my favorite player of all time, Walter Payton, running back for the Chicago Bears. We were big Bears fans, and we still are…..but being in heaven he just has better seats to the games than I do now.

I remember fondly eating too much and then falling asleep every Sunday afternoon as my grandfather and I watched the games. He watched from his chair, and I from the davenport. I never thought that life would change in those days, and didn’t want it to. But his health failed, I grew up, and a lot of time has passed since then. I still watch the Bears, but it’s now with my kids. Walter Payton is gone too, to liver cancer, but I am sure he had a glorious welcome when he arrived, since the Bears are also God’s favorite team!

I thank God that even though my grandpa is gone, that one day I will see him again. And, I’m thankful that day wasn’t two months ago when I had my stroke, and I am sure he is too. But in God’s time I will get there….we all will. But for today I am thankful to share with you how very blessed I was to have my grandpa (who I remember this day on his birthday) in my life. If I turn out to be even half the man he was to me, I will be doing better than most people I know.

Thanks for everything grandpa! And Happy Birthday!

God Bless!

Tom+

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Of birds, clouds, and sleeping babies…….

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Well I suppose I should not complain. I am writing this on my back porch, with a glass of wine, and Ben fast asleep in his highchair (thanks Jo and Flo) right next to me! Steph is in the office working on a summer book report, and Scott and Amanda are out practicing driving (Scott is the one practicing too, Amanda is the supervisor!). The cat is out here with us looking through the screen at birds she will never get to chase (she is an indoor cat), and Mercy Me is playing on the CD player! All is well tonight in the Tirman home!

The weekend, all and all, went pretty well. I did all three services and only stumbled a bit on the last one. (I deserve the glass of wine!) But it did take a toll on me……I had to rest most of the afternoon. I have always heard that people who have suffered strokes need to sleep a lot and I can verify that to be true. When your brain says no more it really means it, and mine occasionally says it quite firmly. But, after a short nap, I feel just fine.

Actually, I am beginning to feel better than I have in a long time. I know I had a few miserable days at the end of the week, but they seem to be much more of an anomaly considering how good I feel now. It makes me quite hopeful for the future. Sure, I still worry about my memory and the reeling thoughts I have all the time, but I feel different, and that’s not just a good thing, it’s a big thing!

You know, I hear all the time “your much too young to have had a stroke,” and I want you to know I agree…..but it doesn’t change the reality of my world. Like anyone, I just meet each new day dealing with what comes my way. I am glad to be where I am, and thankful for the perspective this has given me and the blessings it has brought my way. I have seen the best in people and I have been presented with personal challenges that in the end I will not just overcome, but that will make me a better man.

But for now that’s too much to think about……I will just enjoy the view from my porch. Life is good, and I am thankful for the opportunity to live it. I had a good day……thanks for checking in on me today…

God Bless!

Tom+

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The end of a perfect day…….

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Today was the first day of Summer, but more than that, it was my best day yet since my stroke. I felt great all day long and enjoyed every bit of it! Working in Nashville went well, and even folding laundry at the end of the day didn’t bother me at all AND I did it all on my own!! (I must have brain damage). But I hadn’t had a day like today in a long time, so nothing was going to taint it!

And I am all set for tomorrow too. I didn’t feel real good about my sermon, but it seemed to be received well at St. Matthew’s Nashville, so I will use it again tomorrow and it will appear on our website (www.IndianaAnglican.com) tomorrow afternoon. Deacon Tony Bender, (and his wife Denise), were at St. Matthew’s for the first time tonight, and it was great to see the people welcome him as one of the family there. There was no cake, which disappointed me (after this past week I sort of hope to see cake everywhere) but I did sneak a cookie or two and it was just what I needed to counteract all the salad I have been eating since my birthday!

I was just so very thankful to have a good day, and not just a good one, but a great one. Today I felt NORMAL, and that has been a long time coming I can tell you! And hopefully tomorrow will bring another great day!

For now however, I will finish this up. My laptop is with me in bed, and Amanda is already asleep just a foot or so away. I do have a bit of pain, but I am confident it is nothing serious, It is actually just the heel of an infant who is but 9 days shy of 1. He is asleep in a wedge in between us, but he is clearly more “in between” towards my side than hers (he works for her…. you know it and I do too!!).

But what do I care? It’s been a perfect day! I am blessed to have lived it, and I hope for many more too! And not just for me, but for you as well!

God bless and goodnight!!!

Tom+

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Of C.S. Lewis, Scotty, and Narnia…….

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My son Scotty and I are reading “The Chronicles of Narnia” together this summer, and today was the day we discussed the first book, “The Magician’s Nephew.” We had a great time sitting together talking about it, with both of us bringing our particular insights.

It reminded me of how broad our experiences of life can be if we only look a bit deeper. I would have never imagined Scotty and I doing something like this together. We have done all the other usual dad/son things like playing ball, skating, mowing, riding bikes, and watching our beloved Cubs. But reading books together and talking about them was a real stretch for us both.

In truth, I never read when I was Scott’s age. As a matter of fact, it was in grad school when I first confessed to a professor of mine that I had not read one book for leisure in my life. It wasn’t that I couldn’t read, because I read a lot for class. I just considered reading for fun a waste of my time……a mistake I regretted deeply later in life.

My professor, Locke Bowman, knew better and he made me read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn” for class (it was an independent study) and we used both books then for discussions about educational theory. He knew he could draw me into reading, and he did! It was a brilliant move, and the mark of a true teacher with a passion for learning. Thanks Locke, I haven’t stopped reading since.

I certainly don’t want Scott to deprive himself of something so meaningful like I did, and after our discussion today I believe that will not be a problem. We move this week to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” and we are both looking forward to discussing it next Friday!

What a great way to begin that 47th year! I am blessed that he will read with me…..now if I can just get him to clean his room!

God bless!

Tom+

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Of aging and the need of direction……..

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Another day, but this one was my birthday……..my 47th, and it was a good one. Though I am still not feeling quite right (just like yesterday), I had a day filled with well-wishers, family, and friends. I had a lunch meeting with 3 priests and one bishop, and then I went out for dinner for the family thing.

I did exhibit a few icky stroke moments early in the day. On the way to my lunch meeting I was detoured by some construction and got LOST! I was really frustrated because I knew where I was, but just couldn’t get my bearings. Since I was alone, there was no one there to give me advice. I was late to my lunch meeting and thought I probably ought to get me one of those GPS things that I have been too stubborn to get (okay too cheap to get) because it would not only get me to where I need to be, but would end a lot of frustration. It was just a passing thought…….but guess what Amanda and the kids got me???? Yep, a TomTom. How fitting.

So I will begin tomorrow just one day closer to that AARP card I have been seeking (for the Senior Coffee Discounts). My run of cakes is now over, and it is a good thing too……I need to get back to healthy living. I am just thankful for that week each year……fortunately Ben’s birthday is on the 30th, so I will have a little help with withdrawal I might experience!

Thanks for checking in, and God bless.

Tom+

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Let’s say goodbye to 46………..

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Well tomorrow is my birthday, and I have to say I am not unhappy about letting 46 go. Though there were definite highlights to the year, such as Ben’s birth, all the things happening with Steph and Scott, and my nomination for an Academy Award (okay, that last one was just a stroke-induced delusion) the stroke has made the last part of this year quite frustrating. As a matter of fact, today was my worst day since having it! I was jittery all day, confused more than normal, my face went all numb again on the left side, and I had to sleep a lot of the day just to heal up. I did get to speech therapy at 4:15 and it was productive, but difficult. Needless to say, I am just so very happy to get to the day’s end (and the 46th year’s end too!)

You know, I can never change the things that have happened, but I certainly can do a lot about what the future brings, and that’s how I want to look at 47 and beyond. Where I come from they use the expression, “There’s no use crying over spilled milk!” And it’s true! It’s really what we do from the spill that’s important!

As for me, I intend to poor myself a new glass, and if that spills I’ll even poor another. Life can be filled with twists and turns, and the Lord never promises us it will be easy. He promises instead to be there with us! I am going to make the most of the time I have, and with His Help I believe 47 is going to be a great year!

But for now, my brain needs some rest, so it’s off to bed. I hope I feel better tomorrow…..after all, it is the last opportunity for cake in my family for quite some time!

God bless!

Tom+

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A Tuesday drive of a lifetime…………

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WOW, things sure have changed since I got my driver’s permit in 1977. The cars are safer, the roads are better, and gas is no longer 62 cents a gallon! But I need not complain, not even in a nostalgic way, because Scott got his driver’s permit today and he then promised me in no uncertain terms that I would never have to drive again. How about that for an unexpected blessing? I am still just 46 and I have my own chauffeur. Who’da thunk?

So anyway, with his permit in hand we went out for our first drive (directly from the license branch), and it was a long drive too. I was so impressed at how well he handled the car. He made me very proud! I have to say that even though he had assured me (as he has since he has been 5 or 6) that he could drive quite well, I was still somewhat skeptical. But he showed he could. In truth, he was a very safe and attentive driver, and very responsible behind the wheel. In predicting Steph and Scott’s driving styles at their beginnings I had it all wrong! I thought Steph would be the cautious one, but I would always have to tell her to slow down. Scott I figured would be the jackrabbit! But he just took his time, taking everything in, and making sure he understood every move. I felt very comfortable with his driving. It was a great start! (And Steph is a remarkable driver now too) And don’t worry, Ben is in the chase too. He already has a toy with a steering wheel……so this is to say, it never really ends.

But for now I will just sit back and enjoy where we have come to…….but all from the passenger seat now. After all, a promise is a promise……..and I could really get used to not ever driving again!

God’s blessings to you all (and one of mine is wearing a chauffeur’s hat)!

Tom+

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Gentleman, start your engine……….

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Well it finally arrived……Scotty is 15 and we had a small gathering for his birthday tonight. (Yes, with cake #3). We sat around laughing and talking and listening to Scott and Steph play guitar and sing. Ben got into the act by banging on Steph’s electric guitar, but it didn’t sound nearly as good as Steph. Ben left Scotty’s electric guitar alone. Clearly only two of the three kids are great musicians at this point, but all three try. I went and got Ben my guitar which does not plug into any amp. He banged on that while the other two played……and, he really feel part of the band.

The big thing though was Scott’s birthday. I am so proud of him! He is such a fine young man, and tomorrow will be an even BIGGER DAY for him. Tomorrow we will get his driver’s permit and he will begin to drive! He is SOOOO excited about that and so are we. Scott has tried to drive his entire life, even before he could even talk, and he has talked about it since he learned the words. I know it is going to be a great time. We have worked to get to this day his entire life!

So anyway, Happy Birthday Scotty! You made it and we are proud of you! By 11:00 am tomorrow you will be on the road learning to drive. It’s been a long time coming, and you are ready. I am looking forward to getting into the passenger seat and seeing that smile that will be there all day!

Praise God, my boy has finally done it!

Fr. Tom+

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A Father’s Day for the ages……..

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Today is of course Father’s Day and we started our wonderful Father’s Day celebration this evening at 5. Working on Sundays sometimes changes your schedule, and that was the case today. But it was a blast. Amanda made “chicken marsala” and it was great. And yes, as predicted there was cake…..carrot cake, and it was delicious as well. And my dad was even able to join us for dinner as well. What a great surprise!

The highlight of the day however had to be my gift from Steph and Scott. They are both musicians and they spent tons of time writing a song for me, which they had recorded to play for me. (The song apparently took 13 takes to get it recorded too…the 12th take, which they had recorded “perfectly,” Scotty’s microphone did not work on. So it was gonna be 13)

That song was one of the funniest things I have ever heard too. It made quite a bit of fun of me, and they cracked up as it was playing. (That was why they couldn’t do it live!) As a matter of fact, they were laughing so hard while it was playing that they had to get me and my dad the lyrics sheet so we could make out the words over their cracking up! And Ben enjoyed it too. He couldn’t understand what we were all laughing at, but he was just happy to be at a party! It was a great day.

So Happy Father’s Day to everyone. And thanks to my family for making it so special!

I hope all of you had a day as great as mine!

God bless!

Tom+