Paradise Gained

From left to right: Shayne Johnston (Shania's Dad - Toronto), Scott Kennedy (Hazen's dad - NYC), Shayne Thomas (Christi's Dad - Ohio), John London (Penelope's Dad - NYC), me (Paul's Dad - TX), Syd Birrell (James' Dad - someplace frozen in Canada).

I left Sunday for a trip to the Bahamas. Over the past year I have had the opportunity to become friends with some other Dads who have lost their kids to NB. There are six of us - six of us who otherwise would have never become friends since we are different in all the usual respects that bring people together. Nevertheless, we share a commonalty that transcends most of these otherwise cosmetic differences, and we are all now more the same than different. We watched lots of videos of our kids and families, looked at photos (which brought many tears), and shared the universality of our journeys...it was truly an amazing 4 days. Oh..and we fished, golfed, kayaked, snorkeled, played on the beach, ate wonderful seafood, and relaxed. (-:

Paul Saxon racing

I met Max's Dad, Andy, awhile back. Max also has NB. Max is gearing up for a Pinewood Derby race, and is remembering Paul with this very special car he made. You can follow Max's story here. Isn't this so cool?! Thanks Max, and I hope that 24 car does you right! But, watch out for the #20, Tony Stewart car if there is one; he likes to wreck other cars. (-:

My idea of the perfect day (Texas Motor Speedway, April, 2007)

An essay Jack wrote for a school assignment

The Death of A Loved One

Written by Jack Saxon
February 18, 2008

This is a true story. I'm sorry that it happened, and sometimes I felt like my brother's death was all my fault. My father informed me that it wasn't, but sometimes it seems like he was wrong.

My brother , Paul, was very sick. He had a disease called cancer and lived two years longer than the doctors said he would. Now he was close to death. I gave him a kiss goodnight and looked at him with my teary eyes. I had no idea that that was the last time I would see him alive. I walked off to bed. I prayed for him and then fell asleep. My Dad woke me up at about 5:00 and told me to come spend some time with him. I knew immediately that something bad had happened. I asked him why. He told me
that my little brother had passed away.

The sad look in his eyes matched mine. Walking into my Dad's bedroom I saw Paul, lying on the bed dead. His eyes were open making it look like he was still alive. I wanted to believe he was, but I knew in my heart that he was gone. He had a weak smile on his face. Probably because he was happy somewhere else. My Dad called all of his friends and told them that little Paulie was finally healed. He healed in a way that left us with his sickness. After my Dad was done talking on the phone, we talked about how Paul had trouble breathing that night. At 2:57am my Mom saw that Paul was going to die and went to go get my Dad. They got back at 2:58am and told him he could go and be with the Lord in heaven. At 3:00am he died. We talked about how we would miss him, the good times we had with him, and how much he liked putt-putt. We finished talking, thinking we were never going to get over our sadness.

We went and got my other little brother so he could cry with us. We cried for another 30 minutes and then we heard a car door slam shut. We knew someone was here to take Paul's body to the cemetery. My Dad slowly wrapped Paul in his favorite blanket. It was one our grandfather had given to him. We carried him out to the car, still crying, and put him on a table inside. It was sad to see him go, but he had to. As we watched the car zoom off, we walked back into the house. I realized we shouldn't be sad for Paul. We should be happy. His dream came true and was healed. When he was sick he got constant injections, severe bruises, and blood. He was a very brave kid and it was hard to see him go.

If I think about my little brother dying, it seems kind of like a dream. My family and I know he's not with us any longer, but we also know we will see him again and this time he won't have that nasty disease called cancer.

Seven months or seven years...I don't think much will change in how much we miss our Paulie! Watch the Daytona 500 this Sunday, cheer for #24, and think of our Paul. Let us know how it goes; we still love to hear from you all. (-:

Happiness is Fishing

Wouldn't it be nice to get on a big boat and sail to Cozumel for 5 days of leisure in the sun? Yes, it would, and that is what Leigh and Jen got to do last week. This was a combination Christmas gift/cruise-won-in-a-raffle, and they both came back more tan, relaxed, and rejuvenated. Us two husbands?...not so much. (-:

Top 10 Reasons Why NASCAR is Superior to the NFL

I wrote these on the eve of the "Super Bowl" because it is time to reveal the truth (which just may set you free).

10. When you go to a race you get to smell fumes and burning rubber all day.

9. It has a more proud, American heritage (Southern moonshiners outrunning the law).

8. God likes NASCAR more since there is still a prayer before each race.

7. Racers have cooler nicknames (e.g., Fireball Roberts, Junior, Red, Smoke, The Rainbow Warrior and The Intimidator).

6. It’s never a waste of 3 hours when you watch a race since “winning” may simply mean that your racer finishes still running.

5. The real Super Bowl (Daytona 500) is at the beginning of the season instead of the end.

4. Jimmie Johnson’s hair isn’t as lame as Jimmy Johnson’s hair.

3. Steriods don’t work on the car.

2. The strategy is easier to understand (e.g., go real fast, turn left).

And the #1 reason why NASCAR is superior to the NFL...
1. The season lasts 36 weeks.