Widener Four Seasons

One Family's Transformation Through Tragedy and Triumph
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64146-659-2
Verlag: Made for Success
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 100 Seiten

Reihe: 11.89

Are you prepared for the inevitable?At some point in your life, you will contemplate the end and question what it is like to depart from the only thing you've known. Hesitation and uncertainty might consume you to the core, or a sensation of comfort and contentment will set you free.In Four Seasons, Chris Widener shares the relatable journey of Jonathan Blake and his family through a year in their life, confronted with unavoidable tragedy. After he is diagnosed with cancer, Jonathan reflects on the growth of his children, watching them take life into their own hands and create light in the darkest of times. The Blakes encounter the grandest of joys through the celebrations marking the passing of special events, as well as the withering burden of the painful paths we are all expected to travel at different times. With life coming to a halt, he cherishes every waking moment and doesn't allow fate to slow him down or hold him back from making change.Honest and heartfelt, delicate and intense, Four Seasons is both a beautiful celebration and a shocking aftermath. The four seasons of life are guaranteed; they will come eventually to everyone. This is the story of how the four seasons came to one family and how they lived through them with courage, strength, and purpose. Jonathan's journey reminds us that there is a balance in life-celebrating the joys it brings and the sorrows of death.Now it's up to you... will you take your turn putting yourself in someone else's shoes, visualizing life through the perspective of another? Are you ready to see a glimpse of reality?

Chris Widener is a successful businessman, author, speaker, and television host. He has authored over 450 articles and numerous books; he has also produced many CDs and DVDs on leadership, motivation, and success. Widener was previously the host of the national interview show Made for Success and cohost of True Performance with Zig Ziglar. As a public speaker, he has presented to organizations such as General Electric, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and the Harvard School of Business. 

Autoren/Hrsg.

Widener, Chris

Leseproben

March 21
JONATHAN HAD DECIDED the day he found out that he was going to die that one thing he would surely do before his time here ended would be to get to know Samantha better. He also knew that he would have to do so sooner rather than later, to get the process moving along before her wedding. After the wedding, he knew, Samantha would be too busy getting used to married life to spend much time with her father, and rightly so. He knew it would be hard enough before the wedding, what with all of the busyness of the preparations, let alone afterward. The idea of pursuing a relationship with Samantha scared Jonathan quite a bit. He didn’t have any idea how to go about it or really what he hoped to accomplish, for that matter. He realized, though, that he wanted, even needed, to make the effort. He secretly hoped it wouldn’t prove to be too daunting of a task. This day he had arranged for Gloria to go out with a couple of her girlfriends for dinner, hoping to be able to take Samantha out to eat, just the two of them. Thomas was always home late on Tuesdays because of club meetings at Delbarton, so Jonathan didn’t worry about him being alone. About 5:30, Samantha came in through the mudroom and into the kitchen. Jonathan was seated at the kitchen table reading the evening paper, a cup of coffee next to him. “Hi, Dad,” she said, dropping a couple of bags into a chair next to Jonathan. “Hi there. How was the day?” “Oh, pretty good, I guess. There have been better. There have been worse. Nothing exciting. Where’s Mom?” Samantha was just doing what she had been trained to do: Talk briefly to Dad, then move on to deeper things with Mom. He was to blame, he knew. Not that anything was ever really wrong between them, just shallow. Gloria had always paid so much attention to Samantha, whereas Jonathan had always been rather indifferent, so it was natural for Samantha to be drawn to her mother. This is exactly why Jonathan knew tonight was the first step in the right direction in changing that, if even for the short time that remained for him. He wanted her to always remember after he was gone that he had recognized his mistakes and had made the effort to restore their relationship. “She went out with a couple of friends for dinner.” “Oh.” Samantha paused. “Well, I’ll just grab some soup or something then. Do you want me to make you some, too?” “I have a better idea,” Jonathan replied, pushing the newspaper away and slapping both palms lightly to the tabletop. “How about if your dear old dad takes his lovely third child out on a date?” “Me?” Samantha asked, pointing to herself. “You are my third child, aren’t you?” “Just you and me?” “Yes!” Jonathan was grinning in disbelief by now. “It won’t be that bad. I promise not to slobber when I eat. I won’t ruin your reputation.” Samantha giggled. “Oh no, Dad. I don’t mean it that way. I just... I just don’t know that we’ve ever gone out, just the two of us. I mean, other than a special occasion or two.” “Well, it’s never too late to change a bad habit, is it?” “Yes, I guess so. Okay,” Samantha agreed. “When do you want to go?” “Whenever you’re ready.” “Well, great. Just let me go upstairs and put some stuff away, and I’ll be back down.” “Sounds like a deal,” Jonathan replied. “I’ll pull the car around front.” “Okay, I’ll only be five minutes.” Samantha gathered up the bags she had put down and went upstairs. Less than 10 minutes later, Jonathan and Samantha passed through the gates of Three Lakes on their way to dinner. The trip to Morristown seemed to go quickly. Jonathan knew he could get mileage out of a discussion of wedding plans. The talk was predictable: flowers, pictures, people, and food. When they reached Morristown, Jonathan maneuvered the car to the north side of the Green and parked in a lot. He and Gloria had a favorite little Italian restaurant right across from Headquarters Plaza that they snuck off to about once a month. Jonathan thought Samantha liked Italian and that she might enjoy it, too. “Have you ever been here?” Jonathan asked as they entered. “No, I haven’t. I’ve seen it a lot, though. I guess when my friends and I want Italian, we usually go for pizza instead. It sure smells good, though.” Samantha was simply excited about being with Jonathan and his seeming newfound interest in her, though she, like Jonathan, found it a touch uncomfortable at times. “This happens to be one of your mother’s and my favorites.” “Yeah, I’ve heard her talk about it. I’m excited to try it.” Jonathan and Samantha waited a few minutes in the small front waiting area before being seated. Garlic aroma filled the entire place. After looking intently through the menu, the waitress arrived to take their orders. They each decided on a Caesar salad. Samantha also ordered spaghetti, Jonathan ravioli. As they sat eating, their window allowing them the view of the street beyond, Jonathan began his job of getting to know Samantha better. He tried poking and prodding around different topics that he thought might be of interest to her but never really got anywhere. The fact was, he was wholly at a loss as to how to connect with Samantha, the conversation again and again falling flat and meandering into painful silence. Finally, over dessert, he asked a question that started to break the ice. “This may seem like an odd question, but what do you really like about life?” he queried. Samantha looked up from her dessert. Actually, she did find it an odd question. She looked at her dad for a moment. Jonathan looked down at his plate. “Well,” she finally began, “I guess I like people the most.” “What do you mean? I mean, what about people?” Jonathan fidgeted. This wasn’t easy for him. “I like the differences in people. The variety. Every person I meet provides me with a new experience. Some are so easy to get along with, you know, like your best friends. They are just easy to spend time with, no work at all, and such a pleasure. Other people are an effort, not in a bad way, just that it takes work to get inside, to know them, to understand them. Everybody has this intricate inner person that is shaped and molded by their past and by their personality.” She drifted off for a moment. “I don’t know; it’s just fascinating to me to live life with so many different kinds of people. I guess I just like variety, and people provide that for me. Sometimes it is bothersome, but most of the time it is enjoyable.” “It sounds like you and William will be in the right profession then, won’t you?” “Well, the truth be known, I never imagined myself to be a minister’s wife growing up, that’s for sure. I do think I’ll be good at it, though.” “I think you will be great at it,” Jonathan said. They each ate for a couple of minutes before Samantha spoke up. “Dad, can I ask you an odd question?” “Sure. Anything.” “Do you like William?” “Of course, Samantha. Have I given you reason to believe otherwise? If I have, I’m sorry.” “No, no, not at all. It’s just that you never really know for sure what other people think unless you ask them point-blank. Too many people just keep their true feelings to themselves. So, I know you like him, but maybe ‘What do you think of him?’ is a better question.” “I think William is a terrific young man. Your mom and I like his family. He seems like a very intelligent young man, responsible. Yes, we like him very much. And he seems to fit into the family well.” “What about the fact that he’s a minister?” Jonathan paused to think. “I must admit that I never figured anyone in our family would marry into the clergy, but I have no problems with it. In fact, you know how much Reverend Wilton has meant to our family. I only hope that you and William will be able to mean so much to other families. It’s a big job being a minister. I know I could never have done it.” “What do you mean that you couldn’t have done it?” “Oh, I guess I like being in control too much. I’m very cut and dried, so to speak. I don’t know if I would have the compassion or tolerance for all of the ups and downs of life that a minister is involved in as he works with people. I like being able to go home and be off duty for the evening. It’s not like that for a minister, you know.” “Yes, I know. So, what do you like about life, Dad?” Samantha asked, turning the tables on her dad. “Hey, I’m supposed to ask the deep questions.” He kept eating. “I’m serious, Dad, what is it you like?” “Here’s one for you,” Jonathan said, turning the question right back at Samantha, “What do you think I like about life?” he asked. “That’s easy,” Samantha responded instantly. “Oh, I’m that much of an open book, am I? No hesitation at all?” “Well, I didn’t say that, but actions do speak volumes.” “Okay, so what is important to me?” Jonathan was now intrigued by Samantha’s assurance in what he liked about life. “Money, for one.” Jonathan pondered that one before responding. It seemed like a bold thing to say, considering what he thought it meant. “How so?” “I don’t mean you love money in a bad way or anything. It’s just that it sure must be a priority in your life. Grandpa left you a lot of money, more than you ever needed anyway, right?” “Some would say that.” Jonathan squirmed in...