Today is the one year anniversary of my father’s passing, and one of the many amazing things he did during his life was to volunteer his services as an Orthopedic Surgeon in Ethiopia. He was a medical missionary through an organization called Orthopedics Overseas which is now a part of the organization called Doctors Without Borders. Our whole family was there for about three years when I was in preschool, so my first memories are in Ethiopia.  

Right now, Liz and I are in Redondo Beach, California over the July 4th holidays visiting friends, and yesterday a person stopped us in an outdoor mall area here asking for donations. When I realized she was talking about Doctors Without Borders, I listened to her spiel and it really got me thinking more about Dad and all he has done for me and my siblings as a father. He consistently modeled hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to our whole family and he always made sure that my siblings and I had every opportunity to follow our dreams and achieve our goals and for that I am forever grateful.

I believe this synchronistic experience was the Universe reminding me to remember my father and show gratitude for his profound gift to my life. God is constantly speaking to all of us in a variety of ways, and if you want to pay attention, you will see the signs. The love of Spirit is ever as close as our breath and our heartbeat, but it takes willingness on our part to open our minds to our connection with the One. Open your mind to this connection and any situation in life becomes an opportunity for communion or communication with the Divine.  Don’t take my word for this, simply try looking for God in your life experiences and make your own judgments.

I wanted to give back something for all that Dad gave me, so I got online to the Doctors Without Borders website to donate today and I will continue to donate a small monthly amount to Doctors Without Borders to keep Dad's life and his gift in my mind and heart. If you are interested in learning more about their mission, here’s the link to their website:  http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ .

Thank you, Dad for all you gave to me. I am a better man because of you.