TopCast:"Because you can handle the truth"  

Let me begin with the end in mind. The Bible says that wecome to this world naked and we leave likewise. I believe that is true howeveryou don’t have to leave empty handed. This is the power of relationship. When we focus on the eternalperspective I believe in the great reunion. When we leave this world we holdall the relationships from this side in one hand and reach out to grasprelationships laid up on the other. The Bible refers to this the great cloud ofwitnesses.  Relationships are thecurrency of eternity. Relationships are everything.  I am a man deeply blessed with relationships. Some times Ifeel like George Bailey at the end of “It’s A wonderful Life” when his youngerbrother Harry says “Here is a toast to George Bailey the richest man in BedfordFalls” except you can replace my name with George’s and Shawnee with BedfordFalls.  I enjoy my relationshipwith God the author of relationships. I love my wife. There is my mother andoldest brother who wait for me on the other side. There is my dad and otherbrother here on this side. I have several friends then there are the twofriends I call my best –my chosen brothers. Then there is the relationship thatis the pearl of my heart a real jewel, my daughter. I was there from the verybeginning. Sang to her when she was in the womb and was first to hold her afterthe doctors finished all their stuff. I held her and fed her and burped her andchanged her, yes even the poopy diapers and I’d have it no other way. I helpedher learn to walk and talk and do my best to this day to nurture her soul andher very existence.

I have worked with a lot of children over the years. Many ofthose children, now adults, sometimes come to me and give me praise I am notsure I deserve. Then there are the children I work with now who are still kids.Many of them, when they see me, run to give me a huge and some even say, “Ilove you Mr. Toppie”. There is no award that can match the sincere appreciationof a child except when that child is yours.  There is one in my child in my life who calls me Daddy andthat is my daughter Emily Anne Lai Kean Lincicome “walks with confidence”. 

I believe there is something about a name and as a father Ifelt that one of my first and most importance responsibilities was in naming mydaughter. There of course, was some negotiating with her mother and we agreedon Emily Anne Lai Kean Lincicome. I named her Emily after a Johnny Mandelballade often played by my favorite trombonist Carl Fontana one of the greatestmusicians to ever walk this earth. Carl was great. He was also gentle andhumble. I want my daughter to attain greatness in her own way and in doing so Iwant her to remain approachable and humble like Mr. Fontana so I named herEmily.  Anne is an ordinary namebut I added an “e” at the end in order to point out that this ordinary Anne isquite extraordinary.  Emily wasgiven the name Lai Kean after her mother because I felt it was important shealways be aware of her Chinese heritage. I added an Indian name at the end “walks with confidence”. Confidence isanother thing I hope my daughter will have.  Emily gave me a name. She named me Daddy and it is a greathonor to be a dad and an even greater honor to be Emily’s dad.

At this time, Emily is five and so for now I get to be theguy who knows everything.  Iexplain the moon and the stars, tells stories, read stories and play a wholecast of characters.  Sometimes I’ma knight, or a horse, sometimes a prince, or a bad guy or a hero, justdepends.  Dads can fix everythingyou know. My daughter will bring me a broken toy and with a twist of this or alittle glue on that and everything is just the way it was or better.  When I give the answers just right orfix the toy just right my daughter sometimes proclaims “Daddy, you are thesmartest man in the world” and it must be true –for her.

Sometime I hold the keys to the universe or at least to thecar that drives us to the park and the park is just about as good as theuniverse.  A trip to the grocerystore can be an adventure when dad is in charge.  As dad I get to be full of surprises. There can be justabout anything in my pocket; change that buys small toys or candy or sometimesthings one may have never knew existed. Take for example the day a pulled out a balloon and made a giraffe.  When the surprise is just right or thetrip to the park goes exceedingly well my daughter proclaims “Daddy, you arethe coolest man in the world” and it must be true –for her.

Recently in the news we hear that through the miracles ofscience women can now have babies without the aid of a man.  I’ve read how some women celebratedthis great achievement.  I thoughtto myself “Whew! Glad I made it just in time” and then I thought “those poorwomen” someone must of really hurt them. Why else would they feel that way? Yes dad’s make a difference. Sometimes better sometimes worse.

Being a dad has affected me profoundly and so has being theson of a great father. I love and adore my dad. He is a WWII hero youknow.  He has been my hero andrescued me many times.  I don’tknow how many times I have been down that my dad made sure I would not beout.  My dad worked as aconstruction superintendent he has built many buildings; hospitals, schools,banks, apartments, you name it!  Healso a little clubhouse just for me when I was a kid. That structure stood forover 30 years and when it was being torn down the people tearing it downcomplained because whoever built this they told me, did too good of a job.  Love can build clubhouses that canstand for years and relationships that stand forever.  I am tremendously blessed that even now I can sit with mydad over a cup of coffee and glean from his wisdom.  Here at the age of 50, my heart still swells when my dadsays, “I’m proud of you son”. He’s my dad you see and dads are among thesmartest of men in the world. Dad’s can fix anything you know, and make even acup of coffee an adventure. Dads are of the coolest of men on this planet; mineis anyway. I love you dad. You are my friend, my mentor, and my hero.

As for that little girl who is the apple of my eye, whosesmile lifts my spirits to the heavens, that little one who calls me daddy letme say this.  Emily, you may travelthe world over. Invent and achieve and become anything you set your mindto.  You will grow and learn and goplaces I will never see.  You mayindeed one day reach greatness but no matter what you do or how far you go, Iwill always love you no matter what and no matter what I will always be Daddy.