Teebox, part 7: "A Lot to Live Up To" & "Golf Partners"

Note: My son, Jordie Henry, is now 20 years old. When he was a junior at Randall High School, he had to write a story similar to the format of "Tuesdays With Morrie," for Mr. Lance's English class. He wrote his story about his granddad, Jim Wilcoxson. 

With Jordie's permission, I am sharing the final two parts of the story. It has been in typing his story that my dam of tears have broken loose. I suppose my grieving must begin. 

Luke 11:9-10 — "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." 

A Lot to Live Up To

When I tell about the things I've learned from my granddad, it is hard to sum it up in a concise way. However, this will be concise, and I will do my best to hit the important things. 


Three things I have learned are: How to think for myself and make my own decisions, how to understand personal morals, and how my granddad changed his own life. 

Jordie, with Mom and Dad at graduation in May 2013.
My parents are a HUGE reason Jordie has turned into
such a good person.

Usually I talk to Granddad about sports or things that are troubling me, whether it's about school, sports or family. He always answers with good advice and basically tells me that I need to "go with my gut" or to pray about it. If a tough decision arises, I can use one of the many coping skills he's taught me, and I can decide based on what I want to do or what's best for me; not by what others say to persuade me. 


My granddad's morals are based on the concepts of Christianity. Through this, he has become one of the most beloved people of his peers. He is widely respected and known for the way he treats others (although he will deny all of these things, being his humble self). He has taught me some of these things, and most of it, I have not yet caught a grasp of. I'll be lucky if I ever do. But because of his influence, I find myself more caring and sensitive to the things deep down inside of me.


The things he has taught me are things that he's acquired over time. There was a period in his life when he was different, to say the least.  I know from Granddad's story, changing the course of one's life is possible. *See note.

Through the years I've known my granddad, I've never really thought about these things until a few years ago. In my life, I hope to carry on his influence. Like I said, I would be lucky to be half the man he is now when I get to be 67. I believe that to be the truth.


I know it is the truth.

*NOTE: Three or so years ago, I could share details of my granddad's story for a private school assignment. While I know he never shied away from the truth about his past troubles and was always willing to help someone who might need his experience, I never knew him to share his story in a public forum — so I'm not going to do that now. All I know is that through his faith in God and his acceptance of God's grace and forgiveness in his life, he was able to change and move forward in God's will for him. Granddad adopted this biblical truth as a way of life: 

"... but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

— Philippians 3:13-14

Granddad would say that because God does not play favorites, then if God's grace was good enough for him, it is good enough for the rest of us. All he had to do was accept that grace and move forward — and he did. I admire and respect him for that. 

* * *

"Who can ask more from a man than giving all within his span, giving all seems to me, is not so far from victory." — George Moriarty

Golf Partners

It is the summer before my sophomore year. My granddad is among average age of most of the golfers, and I am younger than most of them, considering that I am in high school. To make up for my youthful presence on the course, I wear presentable golf attire, use my granddad's expensive hand-me-down Ping G2 clubs, and ride in the cart. We travel to the course in a red Toyota Tundra, with a new car smell and the air conditioner blasting. I seek my own approval in playing — but it is my inconsistent play that frustrates me, and because I only play golf in the summer, I am timid.

I finish that summer's worth of golf and come back for another. Granddad is an easy playing partner, always choosing me for his first choice. One day, I remember during a rushed schedule, Granddad quit playing a round of golf all together because I had to leave early.

He begins to call me his "bestest bud" the way kids of the same age address each other in his eyes. He finds humor in it.

"My bestest bud," he says, "Ya know, we can play golf together any time. It's my favorite thing in the whole world. But we don't have to if you don't want to ... Ya know I'm up for it any time."

Sometimes I have other plans. Granddad, to his delight, tries to show up to every event I have. He tells jokes instead of talking, laughs with joyfulness and delivers a little joke with a hint of seriousness; the "bestest bud" joke being a perfect example.

It cracks me up. In all the time spent with him, I realize why everyone enjoys him: He's the nicest person in the world, and he has fun showing it.

***********

Remember this your lifetime through

Tomorrow there will be more to do

With some success made yesterday

Tomorrow you must try once more

And even harder than before.