Family Matters

Two things happened last week that reminded me of an important concept. The concept of family.

On Tuesday, our company gave a live presentation to a major property management firm. For the first time ever, instead of going it alone, I took four members of our sales team to help me make the presentation. (I think I was more nervous about speaking in front of my sales team than I was about speaking in front of a large group of customers.) Our plan was that I would make opening remarks, the rest of the team would chip in with the different benefits and services we offer, and then I would close. We even had a detailed PowerPoint to help tell our “story”.  But at the last minute, I decided that our “story” should wrap around the concept of family, that we are a family owned business, we treat our employees like family, we treat our vendors like family, and that if this group would give us a chance… we would treat them like family too.

On Saturday, my own personal family got together for a fun night out. My wife and I, along with three of our children and their significant others, met at “T-Spoons” in San Juan Capistrano for a cooking class. It’s a fun place where you learn to cook while you drink wine and socialize…and then to top it off, you get to eat a great meal together. Half way through the event a thought occurred to me. I am very blessed that my adult children enjoy spending time together and even more blessed that they are willing to include my wife and I in some of their group outings. I guess you could say our family is tight because we do actually treat each other like family.

I think Tuesday’s presentation went well because we’ve already started getting business from it and I think the “T-Spoons” cooking class also went well because everyone definitely had fun and a full stomach when we left. So at this point in my life, I recognize that I am blessed to have a great family and by that I mean, 4 kids, 6 grandkids, 14 employees, 110 vendors, 750 customers and dozens of close friends. To me, they are all family and worthy of my love and respect… and I should never take any of them for granted.

On Sunday, I still had family on my mind when I saw a man walking down Beach Road. There was a little boy walking next to him with his tiny little fist clenched tightly to his Daddy’s big hand and it was obvious he felt safe and happy. All of a sudden the man swooped the little boy up into his arms and said something to him. Then he gave him a big kiss and set him back down on the sidewalk. It was an obvious expression of love and maybe it was also God’s way of reminding me that it only takes two people to create a family… and more importantly that even if we don’t have family or a father here on earth… we will always have a heavenly father and be a part of His family forever. 

You don’t get to choose your family. 

They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.

~ Desmond Tutu