Jack’s Winning Words  3/5/20 “Whoever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were.”  (Tara Westover)  Several people have recommended that I read Westover’s book, “Educated.”  In scanning a synopsis, I was intrigued by this line, “I am not the child my father raised, but he is the father who raised her.”  As I put myself in that situation, I see that I have “changed” since when my father died at age 62…and my memory of him has not.  If only…   ;-)  Jack www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog FROM COPPER COUNTRY REV:  Yes,  Psalm 116:15  continues to be a comfort to me.  "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."      MY dead family members are not only precious to me but also to the Lord.   Allelua!===JACK:  God had a good day when he invented memory. FROM HONEST JOHN:  My Dad was a great Dad and a terrific example.   I think for a long time, he had no idea who I was....a totally different person than him.   Yet, he was my best friend.   My mother was, however, the key person in my upbringing.===JACK:  "You never miss the well, til the well runs dry."  It's the same way weith regard to some people... FROM TRIHARDER:  I'm not sure I agree with this one, Jack. I understand that "you always had it in you," but I have had people shape my life. I am not the boy who grew up in a house of conflict. Rather, I was a good kid, with good basic values, who looked outside of my own home for additional role models so that I would not create that same house of conflict for my children. ===JACK:  I'm not sure that we disagree....Like with many things, we just need further discussion and clarification. FROM ST PAUL IIN MESA:  you can also put cocaine up your nose but its not legal and its very risky!===JACK:  Stupid...also. FROM DS IN SOCAL:  Interesting, Jack.  Your father died "young" too.  Mine died at 56.  One of my regrets is that I never got to have conversations with him as "adult to adult".  I was a Soph at Augie and though I worked for him in the surgical supply business while I was in college we never really communicated about other things.  I did get that chance with my mom, but still didn't recognize the things I SHOULD have been discussing with her, and my biggest regret was not recognizing what a young person she was when my dad died (52) and that she had a life to live after that.  I am sad that I was so wrapped up in my own young life....marriage and children, etc. etc. that I didn't give her the support she deserved.  Of course, those things will stay with me the rest of my life.  The good part is, I am trying to be a part of my children's lives, though I'm far from perfect there as well.===JACK:  Part of the reason for Winning Words is to nudge us toward taking care of the wouldas, couldas, shouldas before it's too late.  However, letting us talk about our own experiences can be part of a healing process.     Thanks for letting me share.