My father, the late John Wallace Brown, was a hard working man. As a young boy growing up it was not uncommon for my father to work two or three jobs just to pay the bills, keep food on the table, and a roof over his little family’s head. Even in his later years he still went to work in a local hometown restaurant, and after he finished working at his job, he would go to work in his own lawn care business which he had for several years. In addition to the lesson on the value of hard work, my father taught his four children another valuable life lesson, and that is to “Just stay focused!”

My father used to say this all the time, and I must admit that my brother, sisters, and I probably did not give his counsel the consideration that it deserved. It is said that hindsight is 20/20, and now almost five years since his passing, looking back in retrospect, I think I am finally beginning to understand what my father was trying to tell us.

At the time of my beloved mother’s passing in June 1997, for example, my father could sense that his children were hurting over the loss of their mother, as he himself was hurting. To help comfort his children he would often say, “Just stay focused!” I believe what he was saying to us at that time was that even though our mother was no longer with us physically, she would always be near in our hearts. I believe that he wanted us to always remember the good times that we had together and to never forget the things that she taught us. In his own way he was saying to us that weeping may endure for a night, but joy does come in the morning. The love that we had for our mother would never fade, and the sweet memories of her would always be with us if we but stay the course and “Just stay focused!” which is exactly what our mother would want us to do.

“Just stay focused!” - only three little words - but those three small words of counsel have often come to mind even in recent days as I endeavor to stay on course in my life. There have been some moments since my mother’s and my father’s passing that I have felt like throwing up my hands and giving up, but in the back of my mind I can still hear my father say, “Just stay focused!” My father was a living example of often being knocked down in life, but somehow he always found the strength and the courage to get back up and keep going. Through that example I have learned that life can seem to be unfair and unkind at times, and there are going to be times when it seems that it just isn’t worth the effort to push on any further, but the choice is mine as to whether I will give up and give in, or “just stay focused!“ and stand up and press on to the end. 

Thank you Dad for teaching me this valuable life lesson through your counsel and example which has helped to mold and shape me into the man that I am today. I only pray that I will always keep your words of counsel before me, and that I will always be the man that you hoped and prayed that I would become. I pray that I will never let you down. I love you and miss you very much. Happy Fathers Day!