Family

The Hopeful Reality at Death

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“The day is coming soon Father. When I am going to get there (I Hope) I have strived all my life to respond to the gifts of my Baptism. To live who I am called to be. I’ve asked forgiveness when I have fallen short. And, I have set myself on it again. But the day is coming soon father and I hope that I am invited into that Kingdom. And I am looking forward to tapping Barb on the should telling her to move over and standing next to her gazing upon the Lord for all eternity and singing His praise” – Bob Iafolla

Welcome Clare Elizabeth McLean!

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We welcomed Clare Elizabeth McLean was born 9lbs 4oz and 21.5 inches on her due date – Saturday, April 23rd 2022 at 12:17 AM. Since it was out of my hands once we got to the hospital around noon on Friday the 22nd I ordered pizzas from Luigis for the nurses and doctors…just as Dad would have done! I was a little anxious to have her be born on the 22nd and not the 23rd so that it will be easy to remember her birthday because Mary was on August 22nd!

St. Clare of Assisi, Pray for us!

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Advice To My Children

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The following is based off of the following tweet thread here.
“Be Interested. Talent is overrated—interest is not. Interested people are prone to giving their deep attention to something to discover more about it. They ask questions, listen, & observe. They open up to the world around them.

Different is Beautiful. Growing up, I feared being different—I desperately wanted to fit in. I made bad decisions grounded in insecurity. I only realized later: being different is your edge—your ultimate competitive advantage. No one can compete with you, at being you.

Help Others. This is where the most joy and fulfillment will come from.

Work Hard. If you want to accomplish anything in life, you have to work hard. Don’t believe the hype. Hard work isn’t the sexy, flashy Instagram posts saying “rise & grind”—it’s the ugly, painful effort in the dark, when no one is watching. If you want something, go get it.

Show Up in the Darkest Hour. It’s easy to be there for people to celebrate their wins. It takes character to show up for them in their darkest hour. People never forget who supported them when the chips were down. Be the friend who is always there—in good times and bad.

Change Your Mind. Willingness to change one’s mind is a rarity in today’s society. It’s great to have a strong view, but always open your mind to counterarguments. Stubborn objection to alternative perspectives stalls progress. Strive for strong opinions, weakly held.

Be Kind to Others. Kindness remains severely underrated. It fosters relationships, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves overall happiness. When you are consistently, genuinely kind, you become a magnet for the highest-quality people.

Never Get Too Big to Do the Small. Whether you’re in the mailroom or the corner office, never get too big to do the small things well. Small things become big things.

Adopt a Positive Sum Mentality. Want to get ahead in life? Start genuinely rooting for others to succeed. When one of us wins, we all win—winning spreads. If you adopt that mentality, you’ll become a magnet for the highest quality people.

Stand Up to Bullies. In life, you’re going to encounter a lot of bullies—some loud and in your face, some quiet and behind your back. You may even feel pressure to become one to fit in (I sadly did). Insecurity breeds bullies. Stand up to them—for yourself and for others.”

Juju

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I was reflecting on Juju…my Godmother. I had saved this text message as reminder of her and the great joy and spirit which she lived by each and every day. We miss her but know she is with us each and every day!

“Hi Juju, You have always been a pillar and the matriarch of our family in all of our lives. And, you have created many of the most memorable moments. You mean the world to us and we love you so very much. Thank you for being a bright light and true blessing always showing us all what is most important!”

Dad

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One of the many things Dad has taught me is to take pride in the work that you do. The tractor pictured was for sale and had a buyer but Dad wanted to still fix it up and make it better. Or, when Dad bought a new truck and had his old truck for a few weeks and still drove his old truck with 300,000 miles even though he had a brand new truck in the driveway. He takes pride in what he does and cares for many people beyond himself!

-Dad and I working on Saturday night March 28th waxing my car. He had a great deal of energy and wanted to work hard as he always has. In this moment we didn’t need to communicate. We both knew that this was time we were spending together and it wasn’t necessarily the task before us that we were attempting to complete.

“Eagle’s wings” is sung at a funeral. This tells me just how much music can affect our lives in a positive manner even at times like these. One final comment was seeing my father as the casket was leaving the church and seeing what he called was the “Local 4” bible placed on top of the casket. It isn’t often that I see my father cry but this was one time that I saw him fighting back tears. As I return this week I will remember Dick and the words of the priest that “Life is too short to be superficial or unhappy”

A Glimpse Into the Love and Depth of Catholicism

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  • Saint Paul said: “Love does not delight in evil But rejoices in the truth. It always protects trusts Hopes and perseveres : German soldier Joseph Schultz who had this on a piece of paper when he was killed for standing up to German soldiers as he stood next to Yugoslavian prisoners
  • The completion of fulfilment of life is in heaven, not on earth
  • When you lay down vice pick up virtue
  • We pray to give thanks to God.
  • Prayer you don’t need to say anything. Just listen.
  • In prayer don’t ask for anything for yourself.
  • The impact of our discipleship in Christianity is found in the depth of our interiority. Done internally without showing. Fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Do not lay up for you earthly treasure but instead heavenly treasure.
  • “The greatest among you must be your servant” (Matthew 23:11)
  • Those ambitious for earthly goods push and shove their way to the forefront, but Christ reminded His disciples, “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16)

Juju

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From Juju – “You’ve been a great godson and I love you so much. You are a great husband and father and I am SO excited for another McLean. That Mary is one hot ticket and I’ve loved seeing all the pictures. Know that I will be watching over you. Take care of Frankie, Ruthie and Mikie. All my love, Juju”

Wintley Phipps

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It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you have been through!