I Didn't Do Much

I received some nice comments after my last several posts, but one in particular hit me smack dab in my heart. The comment first talked about what a nice post Magic Feather, 2 was, and then he shifted to a question. He wanted to know if I had experienced success with kids. It was vague, so I'm not sure if the responder was interested in my success with kids in general or if, as a principal, I inspired success in my staff. Probably both.

I can cite several examples, but a couple come to mind right away. 

There is Kristen, a veteran math teacher at my last high school, where I was principal. During the last two or so years I was there, Kristen asked for the kids who had the most trouble understanding and passing math. The kids in her classroom seldom or never passed the statewide math test at the end of the year, but in the years she had them, each of her kids did. She coaxed, guided, mentored, but mostly listened to the kids. And they succeeded. I dare say I had little if any effect on her or her students. It was all Kristen.

Amy was a social studies teacher, who is now a teacher coach in a different district as she works her way into administration. Like Kristen, she had students who not only "didn't get" social studies, but were some of the most difficult kids to work with. And by that I mean, not just academically but behaviorally. Kids thrived under her teaching and mentoring. Like Kristen, she listened. Like Kristen, she had high expectations for her kids, and they reached or surpassed them. I can't remember a time when there was a call from Amy to come to her classroom because a student was "out of control." Amy handled each situation and each student, and her students more than responded. They thrived. Again, I believe I had little to do with Amy's success with her students. It was her.

These are two of my favorite examples, and there are many more. Many more.

As for students, three kids come to mind.

Ethan was a freshman when I first met him. I noticed him because he was a soccer player, a sport I came to love because of my three children. Before school, one of my duties was to monitor the cafeteria where the kids would congregate before the first bell. As he walked into the cafeteria, I would ask him about his travel soccer team, and when in season, the school soccer team. Just getting to know him sorts of things. I believe at some point, I asked him what he wanted to do after high school, and he admitted he did not know. Like many young high school kids. As time went on, I'm not sure how it came up, but I mentioned that because of my age, I was looking to retire. I must have struck a nerve, because his expression was sadness. He said, "I don't want you to retire." I told him it wasn't going to happen for quite a while, but he shook his head and said, "No, I don't want you to retire." I guess it's safe to say he and I connected on a level I didn't expect. I finally said I would wait until he graduated and then he and I would walk out the door together. With what seemed like reluctance, he accepted that. As it was, I ended up retiring at the end of his junior year, but he and I still remain in touch.

Of the many kids, there are two I remember from my counseling days. Both were students on my caseload at an impoverished barrio school in California. And I'm not sure if I left a mark on them or if they left a mark on me. Probably both.

Gabino was a senior I inherited from a different counselor after the principal decided to move to grade level counseling. He asked me if I would be the senior counselor. That was a tough and difficult assignment, but I respected the principal so much, I said I would. At the beginning of the year, I needed to do credit checks on seniors and make sure they would graduate. I would send a call slip to the students, and they would dutifully stop in my office for a conference. I sent two call slips on two different days for Gabino, but he never darkened my door, despite the fact he was present and accounted for in each of his classes. 

Hmmm ...

I sent security to escort him to my office for our conference. At first, I raised my voice, admonishing him for not coming to the conference when called for. I told him I wanted to help him, and it was disrespectful, if not belligerent to not come when called. I remember him standing up, doing a 360, and then sitting back down, arms folded on his chest, legs spread with a look of what I would call pure hatred. He never apologized, and I didn't ask him to. I explained he was in danger of not graduating, something he had already known. But I told him I would try to find a program for him to make up the credits needed. 

I found a program for him, so I sent for him the next day, and he came in, knocked on my door, and said, "You wanted to see me?" I smiled and acted as if the previous day had never taken place. The program was an internship at the hospital where not only could he make up the credits needed, but it would lead to a job if he wanted it. What kid doesn't like money, right? He accepted the offer, and then he and I rearranged his schedule to accommodate the position. About two weeks later, I sent for him again, and he came in smiling. I asked how things were going, and he went on and on about the position and said his supervisor had already spoken to him about a job. 

Over the course of the year, he and I would spot each other on campus, and either he would wave or give me a head-nod if other kids were present, but he would seek me out to talk about is job, his classes, and his family. I knew he was in a gang, and he decided- on his own- to get out of it. I visited him in the hospital after he got "beaten out" of it. He was pretty messed up, but he was happy with his decision.

Graduation came at the end of May. When his name was called, he proudly walked across the stage, beaming, and received his diploma. He walked down the stage steps, found me at the bottom of the stairs and embraced me and wept. It was one of the longest hugs I had ever received, and I have to admit, I wept, too. Gabino was the first male in his family in four generations to graduate from high school. As time went on, and after Kim and I and our family moved back to Wisconsin, he and I lost track of each other. But I think of him often and fondly. I refuse to take much of the credit for his success. It was his guts and determination. All I did was open a door or two. Mostly, I took an interest in him and listened. 

At the same school and in the same class was Khalid. The difference was that Khalid had been on my caseload since the summer of his freshman year. He registered for school when his father brought him and his cousin. We selected classes together, and at that time, Khalid wanted to be a journalist. He was about my height and on the skinny side. 

Khalid's story was tragic from the beginning. He came home a month previous to when I met him from playing a pickup basketball game on a playground to find his grandmother in the kitchen dead from a heart attack. She had been raising him. He moved in with his father and stepmother in a small apartment and several cousins and stepbrothers and stepsisters. He never told me until many years after that, that he had spent all of high school sleeping on the floor with a blanket to cover him. Neither his father nor his stepmother wanted him. His cousin and his stepbrothers and stepsisters didn't like him. It was worse when his father went to jail and he had only his stepmother to deal with. 

Over those four years, Khalid grew. He excelled in wrestling, football and track. One day, Khalid asked if I would come to his wrestling match, so Kim and I packed up our son, Wil, and our daughter, Hannah, and cheered for him. We went out for pizza after, and we watched Khalid and Wil play arcade games before we took him home.

As we drove to his apartment complex, Khalid asked me to pull over and let him walk the rest of the way. It was a chilly night (by California standards) and it was getting late on a school night, so I told him we'd take him all the way to his apartment. He leaned forward from the backseat and said, "Mr. Lewis, you don't want to take your family there." I looked at Kim, and she looked at me, and we drove him all the way home. Before he got out of the car, he said we needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. I found out the next day that the street he lived on was called "Machine Gun Alley" by locals and law enforcement because of the gunfire that often erupted at night. 

Khalid went to college on a football scholarship and became a counselor. He got married and has two beautiful children, one boy and one girl. He is now a high school principal. Again, I take no credit for Khalid's success, and like Gabino, it was his guts and determination that got him to where he is today.'

I think any success I had with kids came from listening to them. Mostly, I guess, listening to what isn't being said. I think the same can be said about successful parenting. I believe educators at all levels are mentors who guide kids along the way. There are missteps, to be sure, but I believe kids recognize effort and heart better than adults. It's effort and heart that cause success, along with kindness and compassion. If only we had more of that in the world. Something to think about ...

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

For My Readers:   

Black Yéʼii is now available on Audible, and has quickly become a bestseller in that format. It received a 2025 Maxy Finalist Award for Thriller and Suspense and previously won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. It is also available in Paperback and on Kindle.  

You can find Black Yéʼii here:

Amazon Link: https://tinyurl.com/25w95xcn

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-y-700-ii-joseph-lewis/1146257565?ean=9781685135379 

Audible: https://www.audible.com/acx-promo

If you want more of the backstory to Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) check out my previous book, Caught in a Web, which is available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible. BestThrillers called it “One of the best Crime Fiction Books of 2018!” It was also a PenCraft Literary Award Winner!

You can find it here:

Audible Link: https://tinyurl.com/yw23zhfn

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2GrU51T

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249

Fan Mail won a 2023 Maxy Finalist for Action and Adventure. It previously won a 2023 Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award. It is available in Audible format, as well as Paperback and Kindle.

You can find it here: 

Audible Link: https://audiobooksunleashed.com/product/fan-mail/ 

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fan-mail-joseph-lewis/1142543281?ean=9781685131685

Of course, you can find all my books, their descriptions, and a pay link on my author website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com 

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all ten books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site.  

Please Connect with Me on Social Media:  

Website https://www.jrlewisauthor.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorjosephlewis/

TikTok @josephlewis5566  

Substack https://tinyurl.com/2m5ckdvh  

BlueSky @jrlewisauthor.bsky.social

Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson and Unsplash

 

Magic Feather, 2

 As I stated in a previous post, this is the first year I am doing next to nothing after 49 years in education as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator. I have loved almost all of it, and I firmly believe that those who I worked alongside of, and the kids I've have the pleasure to work with, made me better. Better as a teacher. Better as a counselor, and better as an administrator. I've been blessed and can only hope I wasn't a burden to them. 

Next week marks what I call "teacher week" in my former school district. The veteran teachers show up along with the new hires- some brand new, and others who have transferred into our district. I have always looked forward to teacher week, especially the last day, Friday. That was my day to motivate and set the tone for the coming year.

In the past, I led my staff through various scenarios. One year, I talked about geese and how they flew in a V formation. Something that I learned and then imparted to my staff was that when the lead goose was tired, he or she would drop back and another leader would take the point. Most goose calls, the honks, came from the back of the V, and the honk was encouragement to the lead goose. You can see the point I tried to make with my staff. There will be others who lead, but it is important for others to step up and lead from time to time, and others "voice" their encouragement from the back. 

One year, I gave each of my staff members a small compass. The idea was for the staff member to not only lead in direction, but help others, especially kids, find their true north. Another year, I gave each staff member one Lego. As you know, no one can make something from one Lego. But if several staff members brought their Legos together, something could be made. The idea was that of and by ourselves, we aren't as effective unless we work together. 

One year, I asked the carpentry and CTE guys to make me posts with a platform so the posts could stand on their own. Then I labeled each post with a talent, or something fun to do, or an interest, even a type of food. Then, I asked each staff member to string his or her piece of colored yarn from one post to another. By doing so, a large and colorful web was created. The idea was that we are more alike than not. 

In my last year, I spoke about our two dogs, both rescued. One, Daisy, a Golden Retriever, and Stella, a Beagle-Lab mix. Different as night and day. We've had Stella for ten years now, and it has been only recently that she will be friendly towards me. Someone, probably a male, abused her, and she distrusts most men, including me. I then had the staff write at least one positive thing a teacher at any level told them. Afterward, I asked them to write one negative thing a teacher at any level told them. Each teacher had an easier time remembering the negative statement than the positive statement. I asked for volunteers to read what they had written. It was painful, and there were tears. While they read their memory, I took an overhead projector and ripped up a picture I had projected on the screen. With each comment, a new rip. When I had the teachers read out loud a positive thing said to them, I tried to put together the picture, but it still showed the rips and tears. The point is that what we say to a child- any child, ours, someone else's, even what we say to our fellow co-workers, takes a toll and the "picture" or "person" is never fully healed. 

My favorite, though, was the Magic Feather. It is the story of Timothy Q. Mouse and Dumbo. Here is the story, taken from a post I wrote in 2013.

I’m not exactly sure why, but Dumbo has been one of my favorite characters since I was a toddler. I’m not sure who gave it to me, but I even remember the stuffed animal I couldn’t part with, a baby elephant with a red corduroy vest and big red corduroy ears. 

In the Disney movie Dumbo, a baby elephant was ‘delivered’ to Mrs. Jumbo, and it had big, floppy ears. He was made fun of and wasn’t accepted. During one of the circus acts, Dumbo was supposed to be at the top of the elephant pyramid, but tripped over his ears, toppling the Big Top and injuring the other elephants. He was banished from the act and turned into a clown. His feelings were hurt. But Timothy Q. Mouse felt sorry for him. Timothy convinced Dumbo that if he held a ‘Magic Feather’ in his trunk, he could fly. When Dumbo leapt from the platform way up in the Big Top, he lost his feather and it was only Timothy’s urgent prodding and convincing that indeed, Dumbo flew and became the darling of the circus and turned the scorn of the other elephants into respect.

A lot to think about in this one.

I could talk about acceptance and making fun of another because he or she was different.

Not today.

Legend has it that elephants are afraid of mice. Not sure if that’s true or not, but I thought it interesting that an “enemy” was chosen as Dumbo’s “friend”. Upon seeing Dumbo picked on and made fun of, the smallest of creatures, an “enemy” came to his defense and rescue. He became Dumbo’s mentor, his cheerleader, his coach, his counselor and his teacher. 

How often I see individuals of all walks and stations in life looking out for someone! 

Earlier this year, there was a student trying to pump ketchup onto her tray when an air bubble caused ketchup to burst onto her blouse and slacks. Two students saw it happen, left their lunch and took this young lady into the bathroom to help her get cleaned up. 

The interesting thing about this story? 

Only one student knew who the girl was, and only as an acquaintance. The other girl didn’t know her, but saw she needed help. Easily, the two girls could have laughed. Easily, the two girls could have kept on eating their lunch. After all, they only have twenty or twenty-five minutes to do so. But they didn’t. They saw someone in need and helped out. They moved so quickly that no one could laugh or make fun of the girl.

And what of the ‘Magic Feather’?

A couple of years ago at the beginning of the year, I showed a brief clip of Dumbo and challenged my teachers and staff to be the Timothy Q. Mouse for at least one student, and somehow, someway give that student a ‘Magic Feather’ to help that student ‘fly’. For some, it was a challenge. It takes time. It takes effort. Sometimes, there doesn’t seem to be the expected results. And sometimes, there is no appreciation given. 

But now and then ...

Pat is a teacher who has a difficult student in a tough group of students in one class. The student was disruptive, belligerent, and passive-aggressive, you name it. Pat told her what was expected and reminded her when she wasn’t rising to those expectations. Then, Pat went above and beyond. She noticed when the student met those expectations and complimented her, saying things like, “Good job!” or “Keep up the good work!” and “I appreciate your effort!” Those sorts of things.

One Friday as the girl left Pat’s room, she handed Pat a note thanking her for caring, for supporting her, for being there.

Kids notice. We notice.

All of us, especially kids, need a Timothy Q. Mouse in their lives. Sometimes we need a mentor, a sounding board, a coach. Sometimes we need a shoulder to lean on, someone to listen to us, and to be silent with us. There are times when we need support, comfort, or a friend.

And sometimes we need a Magic Feather to make it work. Perhaps, and to me the best thing, is that we can be that Magic Feather for each other, for someone else. We can convince someone that flight is possible, that it is possible to soar above the clouds and into the sun, and beyond the horizon. 

To be a Magic Feather for someone. Something to think about ...

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

For My Readers:   

Black Yéʼii received a 2025 Maxy Finalist Award for Thriller and Suspense. It previously won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. It is available in Paperback and on Kindle. An Audible format will be made available in just a short time. 

You can find Black Yéʼii here:

Amazon Link: https://tinyurl.com/25w95xcn

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-y-700-ii-joseph-lewis/1146257565?ean=9781685135379 

If you want more of the backstory to Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) check out my previous book, Caught in a Web, which is available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible. BestThrillers called it “One of the best Crime Fiction Books of 2018!” It was also a PenCraft Literary Award Winner!

You can find it here:

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2GrU51T

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249

Fan Mail won a 2023 Maxy Finalist for Action and Adventure. It previously won a 2023 Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award. It is available in Audible format, as well as Paperback and Kindle.

You can find it here: 

Audible Link: https://audiobooksunleashed.com/product/fan-mail/ 

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fan-mail-joseph-lewis/1142543281?ean=9781685131685

Of course, you can find all my books, their descriptions, and a pay link on my author website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com 

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all ten books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site.  

Please Connect with Me on Social Media:  

Website https://www.jrlewisauthor.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorjosephlewis/

TikTok @josephlewis5566  

Substack https://tinyurl.com/2m5ckdvh  

BlueSky @jrlewisauthor.bsky.social

Photo courtesy of Jenelle and Unsplash

Charlie, 2

School is beginning again. Some will head back in about two weeks, while some get an extra week or two before they head back. With that in mind, I decided that for the next couple of weeks, I’m going to dig deep into my posts on this blog because I want teachers, parents, caregivers, and kids to think about how we touch lives. Yes, touch lives. Our own kids, the kids we have in our classrooms, kids we see walking in the hallways, sitting in the cafeteria. Kids who ride the bus, play on teams, and kids who will get cut because “they aren’t good enough.”  

It saddens me to think how many kids I cut in the years I was a coach. Yes, there were some who couldn’t dribble or who couldn’t shoot. Kids who were too slow. Kids who got flustered too easily. You get the picture. I wonder what became of those kids. Did they eventually “make” a team, a group? Did they ever fall in love, get married, have kids of their own to raise?  

So, like I said, I dug back into my posts and pulled out one from March of 2013, titled Charlie. It has become one of folks’ favorite posts. Two of the comments I received on it- anonymously were:

Anonymous March 13, 2013 at 5:40 AM

Just read Charlie, tears are welling up in my eyes. I knew way too many Charles!

Anonymous March 13, 2013 at 4:56 PM

Joe, I loved the story of Jeff. My Dad was an alcoholic. Mom depressed, sometimes catatonic. Me? I walked the halls alone. 

I’m hoping this post touches your heart, and I hope it stays with you. 

Charlie is a troubled teen suffering from blackouts and carrying a secret. His middle school years were difficult at best, and his freshman year in high school gets off to a rocky start. He eats alone in the cafeteria, walks the hallways anonymously, and is in general, ignored. Finally, he’s befriended by a teacher who sees potential in him and feeds Charlie’s passion for books, literature and writing. He’s finally accepted by two seniors, Patrick and Sam, and Charlie confesses to them, “I didn’t think anyone noticed me.”

To say that Charlie is a fictional character from the movie, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, based upon a book written by Stephen Chbosky, I would be fooling myself and lying to you. Charlie is much more than that.  

I’ve been in education for 37 years and I’ve seen, watched and spoken to many Charlies over the years. While The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a work of fiction, kids like Charlie walk the hallways of any school in any city anywhere.  

I’m thinking of a young man in particular. “Jeff” (not his real name) walks three laps each morning by himself. By that I mean, he makes a circuit from the first floor, to the second floor and back to the first each morning, every morning, always walking past me before he heads up the stairs. He’s by himself. Always. In fact, I’ve never seen him walking or talking with any other students since September, when the school year began. It took him six months to smile at me and say hello. As hard as I try to engage him in conversation, he resorts to one or two word answers. He’s pleasant enough. Dresses like the rest of the kids do. Nothing extraordinary about him other than the fact that he is alone.

And if these kids are walking hallways in a school, these same kids are sitting at your dinner tables, watching TV alongside you at night, sitting in their rooms doing homework, playing video games, texting and listening to music. They’re sleeping in their bedrooms each night only to get up each morning and do what they always do- walk the hallways of a school once again. Push play, repeat, play, repeat …

This past month, we sponsored what is called Challenge Day for our students. Students spend a day with adult volunteers and two facilitators who help kids understand they aren’t alone, unique, odd or different. They help kids come to realize that each of us- adults included — has fears, worries, challenges, good days and bad days. The stories these kids and adults share bring even the most hardened of hearts to mush. There are tears. There is laughter. Mostly, there is understanding and acceptance and tolerance. Above all, acceptance and tolerance. 

There are kids like Charlie all over. Everywhere. Some we know because we see them every day. Some we know because they cut our lawn, wash our car, serve us fast food from the drive-through. Some we know because they sit quietly, passively in our classroom, eat in our cafeteria. Some we know because they are our own children. Perhaps they are, were, us. We know firsthand what they experience because we’ve been through it before them. Perhaps we’re still going through it even now as adults. Moving through our daily job, our daily tasks silently, quietly, passively. Not wanting to be bothered. Not wanting the spotlight. Not wanting to be noticed. But wanting to be bothered. Wanting the spotlight and, most importantly, wanting to be noticed.

Push Play. Repeat. Play. Repeat. Day after day. Night after night. Week after week. Waiting for a kind word, a gentle touch, someone to notice us, to listen to us, to be with us. 

Maybe it’s time to break that cycle. Maybe it’s time to help our children, help ourselves. Something to think about … 

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference! 

For My Readers:   

*GREAT NEWS!*

My newest book, Black Yéʼii, will be $.99 for the Kindle version on Wednesday, July 23 only! Yes, only $.99.

Black Yéʼii received a 2025 Maxy Finalist Award for Thriller and Suspense. It previously won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. It is available in Paperback and on Kindle and on Audible format will be made available in just a short time. 

You can find Black Yéʼii here:

Amazon Link: https://tinyurl.com/25w95xcn

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-y-700-ii-joseph-lewis/1146257565?ean=9781685135379 

If you want more of the backstory to Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) check out my previous book, Caught in a Web, which is available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible. BestThrillers called it “One of the best Crime Fiction Books of 2018!” It was also a PenCraft Literary Award Winner!

You can find it here:

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2GrU51T

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249

Fan Mail won a 2023 Maxy Finalist for Action and Adventure. It previously won a 2023 Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award. It is available in Audible format, as well as Paperback and Kindle.

You can find it here: 

Audible Link: https://audiobooksunleashed.com/product/fan-mail/ 

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fan-mail-joseph-lewis/1142543281?ean=9781685131685

Of course, you can find all my books, their descriptions, and a pay link on my author website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com 

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all ten books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site.  

Please Connect with Me on Social Media:  

Website https://www.jrlewisauthor.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorjosephlewis/

TikTok @josephlewis5566  

Substack https://tinyurl.com/2m5ckdvh  

BlueSky @jrlewisauthor.bsky.social

Photo courtesy of Chris Paul and Unsplash

 

 

My Dad, Father's Day

I know it’s not Father’s Day yet, but I’ve been thinking about My Dad lately. I’ve come to realize I really didn’t know him that well. My brothers and sisters knew him better than I did, or at least, I think they did. My brothers and sisters remark I look like him the most out of everyone in our family. 

I my defense, I went to a boarding school for my four years of high school, spent that first summer in Madison working at a day care center. The summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school, I spent the summer in Canada working with a group called Project Christopher, which is like the Peace Corps for those who were under the age of eighteen.

Dad passed away at the age of 64 in December1978 while living in a nursing home. He had developed a Parkinson-like condition and, according to my sister, Mary, passed away peacefully. She was at his bedside. I was living and working in Wyoming and I had driven to my sister Betty’s house. She, her husband, Jim, and I were planning on visiting Dad the following morning, but while we ate dinner, we received a phone call that Dad had passed away. 

One day late. Didn’t have an opportunity to say goodbye. Still makes me sad.

I can tell you Dad was active in the church, and served as a member of the Knights of Columbus and was a high rank in a group for high school and college young men called the Squires. I don’t even know if that organization exists any longer. Dad was a handy guy, tinkering with cars, building a carport addition to our big house on the river, and dad and mom both helped with my cub scout pack.

Even though I didn’t know Dad as well as my older brothers or sisters, there are several memories that stick out so clearly I can picture each one today. 

In cub scouts, we had an annual pinewood derby. Each scout received a car kit, and our job was to create a car that would race against the other cars. I can tell you I won several races, but I don’t think I ever finished in the top ten or fifteen. However, they had a design competition as well as the race and I remember winning at least two Best Design awards. My dad helped. He’d show me how to sand the car, cut grooves into it to make it look like the Bat Mobile. Dad showed me how to paint- several coats, but not too many as to weigh it down too much.

When I won those two trophies, I think my dad was as happy as I was. Each car had his fingerprints all over it, and all I did was to listen to him and follow his directions. 

Another memory came after a family trip to Yellowstone. I was fascinated by the glaciers, and in particular, Old Faithful. It was in seventh or eight grade when my school, Holy Angels, had a science fair. My idea was to replicate as much as possible, Old Faithful. Dad helped. We used a coffee pot, but had to extend the metal piece that “percolated” the boiling water, making it into the geyser made of paper mâché and puddy. I painted it to make it look like the pictures in the book we purchased while on our trip. 

On the backboard, I posted a brief history of Yellowstone and Old Faithful, along with diagrams and charts. I ended up with a silver medal and an offer to enter it into the Marquette University science fair in the junior division. Even though I didn’t place in that fair, being invited was quite an honor. And again, Dad was as excited as I was. He had his fingerprints all over that exhibit. 

The most vivid memory I have of dad was singularly personal, and I carry the impact of that memory with me to this day. 

I was in third or fourth grade, and it was bedtime. I remember getting out of bed to get a drink of water. As I walked down the hall to the stairs, and I glanced into my parents’ bedroom. My dad was in his pajamas, kneeling by the side of the bed, head bowed, and hands folded. I don’t remember how long I stood there and watched him, but it was long enough that I forgot all about getting a drink of water. 

Our Catholic faith was infused in our family- by our parents, by the nuns who taught us at Holy Angels, and by the priests who guided us. There was no escaping it. Being that young, I understood little of it. First Communion, Penance, Confirmation, I knew “about” those, but didn’t understand them fully until much later in life.

I never asked by dad about that night, but it was him kneeling by the side of the bed that taught me the most and gave my faith the human touch, and “face” if you will, that still guides me today.

In reviewing what I wrote, I guess I knew quite a bit about my dad after all. His faith. His caring, his love for family- us. And as I reflect, this last memory of him was his greatest gift to me. I don’t know what I might have given him on that Father’s Day, but I know it came nowhere near what he gave me. His gift has lasted a lifetime. I’m hoping I was able to give my kids, Wil, Hannah, and Emily, a gift like that. Something to think about …

Live Your Life and Make A Positive Difference!

For My Readers:   

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all ten books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site.  

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I was a guest on a podcast, Horizons Author Lounge, with Dr. Rhonda Lawson. In case you’d like to check out the 30 minute interview, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/R5q9LyeSLXM?si=Att4uB-0TM8smY55

My book, Black Yéʼii, received a 2025 Maxy Finalist Award for Thriller and Suspense. It previously won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. It is available in Paperback and on Kindle and is currently being made into an Audible format. You can find Black Yéʼii here:

Amazon Link: https://tinyurl.com/25w95xcn

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-y-700-ii-joseph-lewis/1146257565?ean=9781685135379 

If you want more of the backstory to Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) check out my previous book, Caught in a Web, which is available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible. BestThrillers called it “One of the best Crime Fiction Books of 2018!” It was also a PenCraft Literary Award Winner! You can find it here:

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2GrU51T

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249

I also found out that Fan Mail won a 2023 Maxy Finalist for Action and Adventure. It previously won a 2023 Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award. It is available in Audible format, as well as Paperback and Kindle. You can find it here: 

Audible Link: https://audiobooksunleashed.com/product/fan-mail/ 

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS

Barnes & Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fan-mail-joseph-lewis/1142543281?ean=9781685131685

Of course, you can find all my books, their descriptions, and a pay link on my author website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com

Photos of John Raymond Lewis, Sr. courtesy of Unknown