His impact long surpasses his presence, a point reiterated as my mother shared with me one of her favorites “Boz” stories. She recently ran into a childhood friend, “Betsy” who immediately asked how Boz was doing all the while with a nonstop profession of her thankfulness to him. My mother, looking somewhat puzzled, prompted Betsy to further explain. Her explanation recounted Boz, on a regular basis, picking Betsy and other children up taking them along with my mother and her family to the movies; this was something my mother remembered well but considered it normal rather than extraordinary. Betsy continued to explain he was doing much more than letting friends hang out. Boz created this opportunity for them because he was willing to pick her and the other kids up from a local orphanage. He was giving them a family night out and she could only assume he never told my mom or her sister to ensure these kids did not feel different or less than. The thankfulness extended beyond his act of kindness to the lasting imprint it placed upon her heart. These outings were where Betsy was able to feel a sense of normality and belonging.

If ever a story has produced an AHA moment, this story did so and did it powerfully. Every child deserves an opportunity to feel love and belonging; my grandfather did not wait but instead created these opportunities and because of his example my wife and I knew we were called to pour into other children as well. Not being sure exactly how this might look, we were intentional to be involved in our community and our children’s activities (coaching my daughter’s softball team for example). It was not until an afternoon spent with my wife’s friend “Suzy” and her son “Bo” that we realized what pouring into other children would look like in our lives.

Suzy and her husband were going through a difficult divorce and Bo was struggling; things between him and his father were particularly tough. Our best idea was to take them with us to our “happy place” which meant spending the day on the lake. It was amazing to see Bo’s transformation from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Upon arrival, he sat in a corner watching but uninterested in participating. As the day progressed so did Bo. He became engaged in the environment snacking, surfing, tubing, and even driving the boat. His smile covered his entire face and could not be overshadowed. As I reflected on the day, I was thankful that Bo got the opportunity to let a little joy in, but I also realized that I too was filled with joy. This day topped any other lake day with friends. It was not because of the company we kept but because on this day I felt as though we had truly made a difference and not through elaborate means but through Simply Love – sharing and enjoying my favorite lake life activities and my family. It was at that moment my wife and I knew it was time to Ride The Wave.