A poem written by Jim, as expressed by Jennifer, and inspired by Roger Geronimo. Happy Father’s Day, Happy Birthday, Happy Everyday.
A mind full of memories, a heart full of love
I’m so blessed when I look back, and I think of…
The countless gifts I received over the years
On the fields of bounty, the laughter … and the tears
Horizons full of wonder, abundance and hope
A stash of cash, in a legal-sized white envelope
Freakin’ BBQ’s with meat every damn Saturday
A home we approached by the longest driveway
Apache, Tumbleweed, a Cutie of a bird
There was Daisy and Bonnie, Ernie and Bert
We had Mighty, Sandy, Chango and Ming Toy
That very first car, Ford Tempo – oh boy!
Trips to Hershey, Disney, Mystic, Sandy Hook
The Griswald Inn in familiar Old Saybrook
Mama Leonis, The Fonda la Paloma – all these places
Limos to New York City, in all our glory and graces
A mind full of memories, a heart full of love
I’m so blessed when I look back, and I think of…
The steady foundation all of us could trust
Even with a broken dream – “Escondido or bust”
United Technology Norden Systems – a job for you
A family’s safety and shelter – you knew what to do
A PhD in economics, the Ronald Reagan years
Frank Sinatra singing, “It was a very good year”
Your family doggies – Diva, Georgia, Canio
Roger Geronimo singing, “Ol Sole Mio”
The girls on a theater stage with Bill Cosby
Playing the drums – was it more than a hobby?
A trip to Orlando, Harry Potter was so nice
The Marilyn Monroe doll I wanted all my life
Learning the power of “thank you” and “please”
You, the mighty doctor of the high c’s
The Tampa Opera, a beautiful symphony
A new boy, the enigma called Anthony
Yes, gifts given and then taken back, from above
…
Debbie’s everlasting support and love
A mind full of memories, a heart full of love
I’m so blessed when I look back, and I think of…
Hard times we got through when shadows came to rest
When misunderstanding and miscommunication were simply the test
Needs in conflict, needs at war, walls built so sadly
The chasm that was created between daughter and daddy
Yet, the memory of the comeback, open again the heart
We shared a brand-new memory, and a brand-new start
Reminding us of the eternal, the purest of sacred call
The love in-between – the most beautiful gift of all…
So much to be grateful for, so much to appreciate
Staying in contact, staying connected, staying up so late
Rekindling the bounty, the abundance, not an ounce of lack
Making it so easy to give … and so easy to give back
A mind full of memories, a heart full of love…