Richard "Lionheart" Adams 

My father-in-law Richard passed away recently.  He had an ongoing battle with a variety of diseases and organ malfunctions.  His death wasn’t something anyone was expecting, but it wasn’t unexpected either.  I had wanted to write down some memories beforehand, but ultimately thought I would have a few more years with him vice a few months.  The death of a loved one is obviously a terrible thing, you not only mourn the passing of that person, but the door is effectively closed on any future memories with them.

                I have known Richard about 10 years, and in that time I witnessed a true "lion among men" who worked tirelessly in the banking industry and didn't stop until his body forced him to.  Conversely when he was at home, he was a docile lamb that cherished his family and loved ones more than anything else on this Earth.  He once confided in me that he was happier since leaving his professional life, despite the constant dialysis treatments and various doctor’s appointments.  It ultimately allowed him to spend more time with his children and grandchildren, whom he loved greatly.

I think the first thing that I noticed about Richard was his piercing intellect.  He had sky blue eyes that almost seemed to see right through you.  His mind was like a steel-trap and I know it was the most beloved of his attributes.  As far as his family is concerned, he used his mental abilities to bring those around him up, he knew the right course of action for any situation, and knew it almost instantly.  In that respect, he was a beloved friend, mentor and confidante to everyone he knew.

Richard was a connoisseur of life.  He knew how to cook, drink, and socialize with the best of them.  He was raised in an Italian environment, and his various uncles and mother taught him that family is the most important thing in life, and that life is to be celebrated at every opportunity.  Holidays, marriages, and even birthdays were celebrated with a ferocity that is all-consuming for those involved.  I know that their love and devotion helped shaped who he was, and made him a very compassionate and caring soul.

Along the way, Richard taught me a variety of valuable lessons.  He taught me how to live life to the fullest, and to just be comfortable in my own skin.  He accepted everyone he met unconditionally, didn’t judge, and tried to help them in whatever way he was able.  He also taught me that forgiveness (of myself and others) is the greatest “strength” that a person can have.

 I take small comfort in the fact that he passed away happily and without pain.  My son, who is his name-sake, was having a sleep over that night with his grandparents.  It was kind of odd to me because it was a Sunday evening, and the kids have never spent the night on a Sunday.  It is also incredible, but the first thing that my son did when he arrived was run into the bedroom and place his blanket and pillow next to his grandfather, it was almost like he knew that he needed to be there for him.  Richard had been on the bed resting and he stirred a little bit, but was nonetheless very pleased to see Richie.  I said goodbye to the both of them and told Richie to “be a good boy”.  Several hours later they had been lying in bed and Richard was tickling Richie and having fun with him.  It was starting to getting late (around 10 pm) and Richie’s grandmother had cautioned Richard to “not get him all riled-up before bedtime”.  It was at that point that he rolled over on the bed and let out a huge sigh.  His heart had stopped beating and his time on this Earth was up.

     

 Richard was an amazing friend and father, and I want to thank him for all the great memories, life lessons, and friendship.  He is someone that is irreplaceable and the next few months will be very dark and lonely for anyone who knew him.

A role model for Tebow...

The only way to have not noticed tebow mania is if you were living under a rock. For those of you who were living under a rock, let me do my best to explain what can only be described as a cultural phenomenon.

Tim Tebow is an NFL quarterback who plays for Denver Broncos. He is also an Evangelical. While playing in college he won the Heisman trophy in his sophomore year (first to ever do so) and helped the Florida Gators to win a BCS championship. He has a very unorthodox throwing style that more resembles a hack-type throw than anything else. Tebow most recently helped cement a rally to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime and led the Broncos to their first playoff berth in several years.

Sounds pretty tame right? The only thing extraordinary is the fact that he won a Heisman while a sophomore, and yet our country is seemingly obsessed with this guy. As I am writing this there is an actual group of witches who are conducting a seance in order for Tebow to lose. A few weeks ago four high schoolers were suspended for "tebowing" in a school hallway. He has sports writers across the country singing his praises and predicting his downfall in the same breath; and to his fans, he is perhaps only slightly less important than the second coming of Christ himself. WWTD is now replacing WWJD as the popular evangelical moniker. It is undeniable that he is (already) one of the most celebrated sports celebrity of all time.

And yet Tebow seems to have as many detractors as he does fans. He places his faith above football, something that is unpardonable to those who sup at the table of the Football Gods. Tebow also seems to win despite not really understanding the game, and throwing a football like Nolan Ryan throws a fastball. He still runs the option which infuriates purists who maintain that he will crash and burn and get seriously injured at some point. There also seems to be a secular/religious divide that is certainly a part of tebow mania. To be sure, that divide has always existed, but Tebow has seemed to magnify the differences between "true believers" and "no thank you sir's". Secularists like to point out the absurdity that God would have nothing to do with something so mundane as a Sunday football game. Evangelicals like to say that it is Gods way of promoting Evangelicalism, like he is up there watching the Bronc's and singing "Our God is an Awesome God" while JC strums a guitar.

I say enough already. What if I told you that we not only have a much better quarterback, but a much better example of what it is to be a Christian...and that this person is not only alive, but actually playing right now in the NFL? Would you scoff?? That man is non other than the New Orlean Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Adversity? How about getting traded because you are "too small" and going to an NFL dump city that a Cat 5 hurricane ripped through and practically destroyed? Brees basically built that team from the ground up (along with coach Sean Peyton) and they have been an inspiration to the city of New Orleans (and your average football viewer) ever since. Brees is also an optimist, but his head is planted firmly on terra firma and he has an understanding of the game that is perhaps second only to Tom Brady (current quarterbacks). Perhaps the most important thing about Brees is that he is not a very pious man. He is very religious, certainly, but he does not go around shouting about his faith like he is at some Baptist revival and the guy with the snakes just walked in. Perhaps what our tebow mania induced nation really needs is a healthy dose of Drew Brees.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Halloween 2011 with Dave Homer

Location:Idaho falls