1h - Winning Choices - I Remember

“Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on
you’re here, there’s nothing I fear, and I know that my heart will go on
We’ll stay forever this way, You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on”. – Celine Dion , My Heart Will Go On

“Oh Great Spirit, Oh Mother Earth, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world - hear me – I come before you, one of your children. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset…..” – Lakota Prayer

I remember my mother Catherine and my father George, who, although stifled and enslaved by the poverty, alcohol abuse and my father’s extreme post traumatic stress disorder from his heroic service in WWII, problems that would disintegrate our family before I was seventeen; and burdened by the weariness of trying to overcome the obstacles and toil of their own, young beginnings; nurtured my early youth with love and encouragement, instilling in me an optimistic self awareness, the notion that I could accomplish anything, and the confidence and courage to dream . I remember.

I remember my sister Julia and my brothers Mark and Patrick, who in the aftermath of the tragic dissolution of our family, made poor choices that cost them their young lives and a future of promise. Each one of them was smarter and stronger than me. When our family fell apart, I was the oldest and most able to move forward. With their spirit in my heart and their strength and support in my soul, I’ve endeavored to help others avoid their tragic, catastrophic choices and mistakes, and to be the best being I can be; always with their love, memory and unfulfilled promise in my heart, thoughts, actions and the fabric of the “Winning Choices” ideal. I remember.

We remember each and every one of our beloved animal companions over these many years, who have enriched our lives with their undying loyalty, and unconditional love; sweet beings of courage, dignity, integrity and purity of soul. The precious time you connected with our lives raised our consciousness and strengthened our spirit. You were and are unforgettable members of our “little family”. We remember.

I remember my best friend of fifty years, Frankie Gippetti, lost to leukemia at sixty,” brother of a different mother”, as we often joked, who knew me better than anyone else ever, and whose faith in me was constant and boundless. Whenever I lost my direction and did a little slide back towards the streets, Frankie was there to remind me what was real inside me and “nudge” me back towards my dreams. He said to me more than once, “I’m not so good with words Jerry; I need your help to tell people how I really feel about things”. This one’s for you, Frankie! I remember.

“And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover, /and a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.” – John Masefield

“When you were born, you cried
and the world rejoiced.
Live your life
so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice.” - White Elk