There
is one memory of my father that stands out among all the memories I have of
him. It is permanently etched in my brain, and I can tell you it causes me to
think about my actions and my words to my kids and to anyone I come in contact
with. At least I try. Sometimes I fail, but I try.
We
were living in the house by the river. I know I was little and shared a bedroom
and bed with my younger brother, Jeff. I don’t remember how many brothers and
sisters were living at the house at that time, but I would wager a good number
of the ten of us. Probably my older sisters had moved out and had gone to
college.
I
know I had never thought I had lacked anything growing up, but I had come to
realize that we were poor. The guy at the little market where dad liked to shop
gave us healthy discounts on what was purchased. He was a friend of my dad. A
good guy.
Again,
I was little, maybe first or second grade at the time. We had gotten ready for
bed, probably in bed, and I had gotten up for some reason. I remember walking
past my parent’s bedroom, and I saw my dad kneeling down at the side of the
bed, praying. His head was down. His hands were folded. He had stayed that way
for quite a long time.
I
watched, mesmerized. The kids in our family were brought up to pray. We went to
church each Sunday, 9:15 AM at Holy Angels, third or fourth pew in front on the
left. Heck, we could have had our names carved permanently in the wood. That
was our place, all of us, each Sunday. During Lent, we’d pray the rosary as a
family on our knees in the living room. A long prayer and it wasn’t
comfortable. Back then when I was little, I couldn’t wait for it to end.
And
while we prayed before meals, hands folded, head down and eyes closed, and
while my little brother and I prayed each night before crawling into bed, I had
no idea that my dad prayed by himself at night. I don’t know why I didn’t know
that. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered that. It should have been a given, I
guess. But it honestly hadn’t occurred to me.
But
there he was, on his knees, hands folded, head down, in prayer.
I
remember sneaking back once or twice after and saw the same thing. My dad prayed.
By himself, with no one watching . . . except for me from a distance in the
dark. And it stayed with me all these years.
I
wondered, and still wonder, if my kids know I pray. My routine is the
morning. I have a devotional I read that contains a scripture passage and a
thought, which is followed by a short prayer. It starts my day out. At night, I’m
usually in bed and I go over what I did or didn’t do. My mind plays and trips
over all the things I could-have-should-have-but-didn’t-do. You know that game,
right? I think we all do.
But
I don’t know if Hannah or Emily know I pray each day. I don’t think I gave
them the example my dad gave me. That bothers me. Prayer and spirituality play
an important role in my life, but I don’t know that my daughters, or Wil when
he was alive, knew that. Yes, we went to church. Yes, my kids were all
Baptized. Yes, my kids had their First Communion, and many others since.
But
. . .
It
seems I left something out. They are older and have begun their own lives now.
I reach out daily to them each morning and many times throughout the day,
wishing them a good day. I do this with several of the kids I taught, or coached,
or was counselor or principal for. But, do they know me in my spiritual life?
Did I set an example for them? I wonder. Something I truly think about . . .
Live
Your Life, and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
The edits and book covers for the Lives Trilogy
and Prequel are progressing. I redid and/or tweaked Taking Lives,
Stolen Lives, and Shattered Lives, and I will begin the redo and
edits on Splintered Lives this week. I am thankful to BRW for their
continued belief in me and in my writing. I will keep you posted as to when
they might be available for purchase on Amazon and on Barnes and Noble.
I Received a New 5 Star Review and Author
Spotlight!
You can find the Review here:
https://writersinspiringchange.com/feature-review
and the Author Spotlight here:
https://writersinspiringchange.wordpress.com/2021/04/04/international-writers-inspiring-change-feature-book-review-betrayed-by-joseph-lewis/
I
have an author's website, in addition to my Facebook Author’s Page.
On
it, I talk about writing. I introduce characters from my books. I release
snippets from those books. I let you in on any interviews I have done. I will
let you know of any events coming up for books sales and signings. Mostly, it
is my way of reaching out to you so that you get to know my author side of
life. You can find it at: https://jrlewisauthor.blog/
Other
ways you can connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
Betrayed:
A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner! A Reader's Ready Recommended Read
Award Winner!
A
late-night phone call, a missing kid, a murdered family, but no one is willing
to talk. A promise is made and kept, but it could mean the death of a
fifteen-year-old boy. Seeing is not believing. No one can be trusted, and the
hunters become the hunted. https://amzn.to/2EKHudx
Spiral
Into Darkness: Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards!
He
blends in. He is successful, intelligent and methodical. He has a list and has
murdered eight on it so far. There is no discernible pattern. There are no
clues. There are no leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go
on is the method of death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send
a message. But it’s difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and
damaged mind. Two adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea
they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local
law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
Caught
in a Web: A PenCraft Literary Award Winner! Named “One of the Best Thrillers of
2018!” by BestThrillers.com
The
bodies of high school and middle school kids are found dead from an overdose of
heroin and fentanyl. The drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors and the
Milwaukee Metro area is controlled by MS-13, a violent gang originating from El
Salvador. Ricardo Fuentes is sent from Chicago to Waukesha to find out who is
cutting in on their business, shut it down and teach them a lesson. But he has
an ulterior motive: find and kill a fifteen-year-old boy, George Tokay, who had
killed his cousin the previous summer. Detectives Jamie Graff, Pat O’Connor and
Paul Eiselmann race to find the source of the drugs, shut down the ring, and
find Fuentes before he kills anyone else, especially George or members of his
family. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696
Book
One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two
thirteen-year-old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and
his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all
the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the
possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis
Book
Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six
men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity,
are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no
clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect
them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis
Book
Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
A
14-year-old boy knows the end is coming. What he doesn’t know is when, where,
or by whom. Without that knowledge, the FBI can protect him or his family. And
he cannot protect himself or his family. http://tinyurl.com/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis
The
Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI
Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of
six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they
don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11-year-old Brett McGovern,
and 11-year-old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys
become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand.
The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives
are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis
Photo
courtesy of Nathan Lemon and Unsplash
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Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe