Skip to main content

A Dads Holiday Message to His Family

Family Letter by Stephen C. Schultz

By Stephen C. Schultz

This last couple of days has been stressful for a number of reasons. I would like Stephanie, Ryan, and Amanda to share this link with your spouses.

Many of the conversations, while well-meaning, have been a combination of "Caring" mixed with "Self-Serving"...this includes me.

Family letter image

One thing I know is that we all love each other. So, let’s stop pointing fingers.

This is a piece I wrote for my blog that was inspired by an interaction I had with a mother of one of the students enrolled at Oxbow Academy. She was having a hard time seeing her part in the issues surrounding her son being in treatment. This isn't just a mom thing...Dads are equally found blaming others to help themselves feel better about the situation they find themselves in.

So, as we enter the Holiday Season, let’s not carry grudges. Let’s recognize that it is *our* responsibility to manage our emotions in a responsible way. That doesn't mean we stuff them down or ignore their existence. It means we exercise some introspection and insight and then act on that accordingly in a kind and compassionate manner. We all have crap! Everyone has crap!! When it damages our relationships, the crap wins!!! I hate crap!! Crap is good to hate, not family.

The Roller Coaster of Life

Love you all,

Dad

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lessons I learned from a childhood experience with bullying

By Stephen C. Schultz The dew around the window was starting to bead up. In a classic case of chaos theory, the little beads of water gave way to gravity and randomly bounced and bumped their way to the window sill like a steal marble in a pinball game. There was a small pool of water in the cracked and peeling beige paint. I sat facing the window, staring at the small engraved stone nestled in the flower beds. There weren’t many flowers at this time of year. Mostly rhododendrons and Oregon grapes reaching skyward from the damp bark mulch that covered the planter area.   The month of January in Eugene Oregon was filled with days and days of mist and fog.   In fact, pretty much from October through June was filled with fog, rain, mist, showers, freezing rain and occasionally snow. The local weathermen didn’t bother with predictions about the chance of precipitation; they took pride in developing new adjectives to describe the type of precipitation and how much you can...
10 comments
Read more

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program. Many come to this program having struggled with depression, anxiety and substance use.)   Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded by turning down the offer, stating, ...
3 comments
Read more

The Legacy of My Father, R. Conrad Schultz

 By Stephen C. Schultz As Father's Day comes around each year, I find myself reflecting on the legacy of my father, R. Conrad Schultz. Looking back over his life, one word comes to mind— FATHER . Not simply because he was my father, but because the word itself describes the qualities that defined him. F—Faithful My father's life is anchored in faith. He love's the Lord, trusts His promises, and remains steadfast through seasons of joy and adversity. Faith is not something he merely professes; it is something he lives. A—Authentic There was no difference between the public man and the private man. Whether serving in Church leadership, practicing law, or sitting around the dinner table with family, he was genuine. He valued truth, honesty, and sincerity, and those who knew him best knew exactly where he stood. T—Teacher Dad taught constantly, often without realizing it. Through stories, scriptures, humor, fishing trips, and simple conversations, he taught principles rather th...
4 comments
Read more