Stuff To Do = Life

Like it or not, we have stuff that we have to do. We have stuff that we have to do and it’s not stuff we want to do. But that's life, isn’t it?

I don’t want to do laundry every couple of days.

I don’t want to figure out what to feed my kids - one (Luke) who won’t eat anything, one (Amanda) who eats everything but tomato(e)s.

I don’t want to go to Wal-Mart several times in a week. A Wal-Mart that I petitioned against, but couldn’t vote against, to keep out of my neighborhood.

I don’t want to have a never-ending battle against toys that leave the house in a constant state of messy.

I don’t want to live where it’s 25 degrees outside.

I don’t want to have a million questions that solely require my answers.

I don’t want Christmas trees to dry out the instant you bring them home.

I don’t want every kid in the tri-state area that Amanda knows to have a birthday party that she HAS to go to.

I don’t want my friends to have heartaches from losing mothers or babies.

I don’t want to have a birthday, or Christmas, or New Years, without my wife.

I don’t want to have to commiserate with anyone else who’s going through the loss of a spouse with kids.

I don’t want to feel guilty for not thinking of Cindy all the time.

I don’t want to feel like other people are judging me if they see me out with another woman. ‘Cause I know they will.

I don’t want to change anything.

I don’t want to always be calm and collected.
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I do want to feed my kids nutritiously and wear clean clothes.

I do want to save money.

I do want my kids to enjoy their toys and actually play with all of them.

I do want to experience all of the seasons that God made.

I do want to have an input into the decisions that affect my life and my family.

I do want the piney smell of the Christmas tree.

I do want Amanda to enjoy her many and diverse friends.

I do understand the circle of life. And like seasons of the year, we all have Springs and Winters.

I do want to live at least another year. 38 years today.

I do want to help a fellow brother going through a similar struggle and aid in whatever way I can.

I do want to have memories of Cindy which don’t consume my every waking moment.

I do want to enjoy the company of women.

I want to change everything.

I want to come out the other side of this struggle as close to the person I was going in - if that’s God’s will.

That’s life. Isn’t it?