This question comes with a bit of difficulty because that’s going back in time to 1998, and both of my parents (all three if you count my stepfather) were still alive.
My stepdad was still President of ACTS 29 Ministries, and I was working there with him as his Vice President of Communications. The ministry was close to being at its highest point, and he was traveling the country conducting conferences and leading seminars.
Mom was often with him, and she was still writing and performing worship music. This was just about four years before her diagnosis with breast cancer, which claimed her life after a five-year battle in 2007.
My Dad was still the publisher of the Northwest Florida Daily News, a position he held from 1980 to 2004. He and I weren’t always the closest, but I really admired his business acumen and ability to balance keeping his people happy and making a profit. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who did it better.
My hope is that, in some way, I’m able to emulate each of them. My stepdad was inspirational and had a knack for communicating the Gospel. My father could be the life of the party and, as I said before, had an uncanny instinct for managing people’s needs and the bottom line. And my Mom, well, she was the heart and soul of the family. She knew how to make everyone she met feel like a million dollars. To know Mom was to feel loved and appreciated. I doubt I’ll ever do that as well as she did, but it’s certainly a goal worth pursuing.
What a beautiful tribute to your parents, Douglas! Each of your descriptions is a testament to the incredible individuals who shaped you into the person you are today. It’s inspiring to hear how you’re striving to integrate the best of each of them—your stepdad’s passion for spreading positivity, your father’s charm and business savvy, your mom’s generous heart—into your own life.
By carrying forward the best of each of them, you honor their memory and the love they shared with you. And that, in itself, is a wonderful achievement.