The Gift of a Lifetime
When I graduated from our little three-room grade school in Centerton, Indiana, I got dressed up in clean overalls for the big event. For my graduation present Dad gave me an old, wrinkled two-dollar bill that he probably had been hanging onto for some time. He said, “Johnny, as long as you have this you’ll never be broke,” and he was pretty close to right. Eventually I gave it to my own son Jim.
Dad also gave me something that day that would shape my entire life: my work, my marriage, my goals, my entire philosophy. It was a card on which he had written a few guidelines. I still carry it with me. On one side was this verse by the Revered Henry Van Dyke:
Four things a man must learn to do
If he would make his life more true:
To think without confusion clearly,
To love his fellow-man sincerely,
To act from honest motives purely,
To trust in God and Heaven securely.
The little verse was straightforward but profound: think clearly, have love in your hear, be honest, and trust in God.
On the other side of the paper, Dad had written out his creed. At the top of the paper, it said “Seven Things to Do.” It read as follows:
- Be true to yourself.
- Help others.
- Make each day your masterpiece.
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
- Make friendship a fine art.
- Build a shelter against a rainy day.
- Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for you blessings every day.
All he said when he gave me the little note he had written was, “Son, try and live up to these things.” I wish I could say I have lived up to them. I have tried. Over the years, as I’ve attempted to follow his creed, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of it. Let me share what it means to me after all these years.
– From “Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court”
