The Good Doctor

To be able to pen words of wisdom and enlightenment, with an inspirational depth unattainable by another human while being consistent and concise with cadence and and incredible advice… is a dream that one day I wish to realize.

I will never be as eloquent and precise as one of my all all time favorite authors Dr. Seuss…I can certainly aspire to be, however he had a way with words that really can’t be replicated…

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”

In my opinion, the book “Oh the Places You’ll Go”, is by far the most inspirational and affirming collection of words I have had the privilege of reading.   When my eldest daughter was born 12 years ago (almost 13…as she continually reminds me), it was the first text I read to her.  With emotional and likely tired tearful eyes I would struggle through the sentences as the truth of its contents spoke to me and my aspiration for her as she would grow and develop into the independent, beautiful and compassionate young lady she is today.

This book was not only read to her, but to my 4 other children when they were all newborns.  It became a father’s tradition.

Somewhere along the years, I let go of the truth of Dr. Seuss’ wisdom and became complacent in my days and struggled with inspiration and motivation.  Each day became a chore and getting myself together in the morning to go to work, put on a friendly face, pretend to care, and just get through, became exhausting.

I found the book the other day while tidying up after putting my kids to bed.  Giving it a read again brought me to tears (which isn’t hard to do), but it brought a swell of emotions of failure, disappointment and grief.  The situations I currently find myself facing these days have been difficult and challenging, and with the recent events that have unfolded in the hockey community with the devastating bus crash that took the lives of sixteen Humbodlt Broncos, I am holding my own kids a little tighter; yet I have a strong feeling of failure as a father.  My kids are my everything; to feel inadequate as a dad and not ever wanting my children to go through life’s difficulty was incredibly heavy in that moment.

I still struggle to get through most days, and when I’m in a dark place of fear, panic and anxiety, believe it or not, I try to remember the words of this book.  Dr. Seuss seemed to know just what I need!  And I think the reason is simple… he was human too, had his own struggles (I’m not going to go through his complete story as it’s a long one), but it makes me realize that I am not alone, and neither are you.  We all have a story and if you feel you are stuck or in a slump, just remember the words of the Dr.

Don’t give up friends!  Days are hard and long and that’s for real, but if you focus on you struggle, your mountain you’ll never succeed.   If we work together to lift each other up, our mountains we can climb, up to the top.  Be free of your pain you will not, but learn, lean and hope for tomorrow we can have, because you are strong, not alone and loved.

I hope you can be inspired or find some strength to carry on… today is your day!  move you mountain and see the places you’ll go.  feel free to text 7058682616 if you need someone to talk with, share your story with or just say hi!