Christmas 2009 was wonderful.  Oldest daughter Miranda Bring, who turned 25 on 12/21/09, was home with husband Ben and their two dogs, Mahollo and Cletus.  The dogs make our partially crippled dog, Teddy, feel young again.  Although Miranda was not in Columbus for her actual birthday on the 21^st because of work, Mom baked a cake and we had beef stew and celebrated Miranda’s birthday on Monday the 28^th.  As is customary, we went through the “10 Cutest Moments” in Miranda history, one of which was her pronouncement many many years ago that “Dad, I’m past the cute stage.”

Step Mom Lenora and brother, “Uncle Dan” were here for Christmas.  Mom cooked the ham, layered cheese potatoes, pies and cookies.  Saturday night, all of us ate at Cain’s (chicken fingers) courtesy of daughter Clarissa’s Columbus Dispatch Athlete of the Week that she earned with the game-winning assist in the regular season game against arch rival Watterson.  Athlete of the Week winners get a certificate for 8 free Cain’s meals.  Middle daughter Tash earned that honor last year and we took advantage of that at Christmas time 2008.  We’re hopeful Dan and Lenora can return for New Year’s Day and the Ohio State v. Oregon Rose Bowl game.

On 12/23 we saw high school buddy ret’d Air Force Lt. Col. John Jannazo and his kids, grandkid as well as John’s brother Lou, wife Annie and their two sons.  We played a touch football game on the tennis courts of nearby Bishop Watterson High School.  Lou and Annie live just 2 blocks from Watterson in the Clintonville area of Columbus.  It was great to see John, Lou and the families again.  We sat around, ate and talked of old times.  John went through a rough, rough year going through a divorce with wife Cindy.  Cindy was also a friend of ours from the James Ford Rhodes High School class of 1975.  They had been married for over 25 years.

Clarissa has finished her classes at driving school and is getting close to getting her license.  Tash goes back to the University of Louisville Tuesday for her 2^nd semester.  We got her a temporary fitness pass to Lifetime and she and I have worked out every other day. 

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that friend Denny Roe had died.  His wonderful wife, Sally, lost her battle with cancer and was buried this morning.  She was 82.  

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

 

                                                                                    -- Charles R. Swindoll

 

 

 

 

 

Today would have been our son Nathaniel’s 21^st birthday.  He was born December 19, 1988 and died January 6, 1989.  Today would’ve been the day I would have taken him to get his “first” beer.  We’ve been so blessed.  I never understood when I read the book of Job from the Bible how, after the deaths of the righteous Job’s children at the beginning of the book, it could be said at the end of the book that God “restored” Job.  What kind of restoration do you give a parent that loses a child.  Without adequately being able to put it in words, I have some understanding of how God restored Job.  That’s because he’s restored us.  We had two daughters (Natasha, 18, and Clarissa, 16) who we wouldn’t have had but for the tragedy with Nathaniel.  We would have stopped at one girl (Miranda, who was 4 at the time) and one boy.  Tash and C have blessed us each and every day of their lives.  The full restoration comes some day – long into the future – when there will be a glorious homecoming with the Lord Jesus and we’ll all be together again:  Nathaniel, Debbie, Miranda, Natasha, Clarissa and me.  That’s a blessing.  That’s restoration.  21 years ago I put on the headstone the epitaph: “The flowers return in the spring, but not the joy”.  That’s how you feel when you lose a loved one.  Thanks to Jesus, the joy is in full flourish, with or without the flowers. 

 

Debbie, Tash, C and I were at Nathaniel’s gravesite today and said a prayer of thanks for him and for the family of another dear baby lost – Casey Adams.  Nathaniel and Casey’s graves are only about 40 feet apart in the cemetery’s Garden of Angels.  We saw that someone in the last year or so has continued to place various decorations, toys, manger scenes on Nathaniel’s headstone.  Don’t know who it is, but Deb and I are warmed by the fact that God has sent an angel to let us know that He and his special messenger haven’t forgotten our little boy.   Hope to know who the kind folks are someday so we can thank them heartily. 

The Christmas lights are up and tree is still to come.  The Christmas cards are printed up and soon to be mailed.  What follows will be appearing in a Christmas card near you:

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE LEICKLYS

            The photo on our Christmas card was taken at 18-year-old daughter Natasha’s graduation from Columbus Academy last June.  In the photo, Tash is holding the flowers with big sister Miranda (25 on 12/21/09) to her left in the blue dress and little sis Clarissa (16) on her right.  Proud mom, Debbie, is on Tash’s far right.  I’m in the middle back with Grandma (Lenora Leickly) to my right and my brother (Uncle Dan) to my left.  Son-in-law Ben (Miranda’s husband) couldn’t make it back for the graduation due to medical school obligations, so he’s not in the graduation photo.  This is the closest photo we have during 2009 of an entire family photo.   It’s the “you snooze, you lose” rule.

            Miranda and Ben live in Blacksburg, VA where Ben is in the middle of his second year of medical school.  Miranda earned her master’s degree in education at Radford University in May.  Grandma and I were able to come down for the graduation.  The couple have adopted 2 cute dogs that they bring to Columbus with every visit.  Debbie is considering re-adopting Ben and Miranda’s youngest dog, Cletus, as a younger companion for our dog, Teddy.  Can’t wait to invite Cletus into the Leickly Family Circle of Trust.

            Tash started summer classes at the University of Louisville in early July and went on to have a great field hockey season with the Cardinals, starting at left back all season.  The team finished 12-8 overall and third in the Big East.  Tash is majoring in psychology and is doing well in school.  We’ll insist she play her violin for us during her break.

            Clarissa smashed five out-of-the-park homeruns as a catcher for her fast pitch Lady Dragons softball team last summer.  As a freshman in high school at Columbus Academy, C started with Tash for the lacrosse team last Spring.  C was an all-conference performer for the Columbus Academy field hockey team as a sophomore midfielder this Autumn.  The field hockey team finished as state runners-up for the second year in a row.

            Debbie’s still enjoying working as a pre-school teacher at Stonybrook United Methodist Church’s Early Learning Center.   I moved my Columbus downtown law office to 145 E. Rich Street back in late May.  We’ve got a good group of sole practitioners on the floor – Gordon Shuler, Eugene Butler and James Connors – who all get along well.

            Hope for all of God’s blessings for you and your family.  God is good – all the time.

            “In football, everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.”                                                                                  -- Jean Paul Sartre, French existentialist

            “ I like to think I win two out of three times when the other side doesn’t show up.”

                                                                        -- James Leickly, American litigator

VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT:  JamesLeickly.com

Friend Denny Roe died of cancer November 30^th.  Debbie and I attended his funeral last Saturday.  Denny was a pilot, ham radio operator and U.S. Army veteran.  He and his wife Sally, who survives him, were roommates with my entire family up in Lakeside, Ohio in a summer cottage during the United Methodist Church’s West Ohio Conference for a few years.  We served together as lay delegates to the conference.  The Roes were the most hospitable people I’ve ever met, welcoming our girls as if they were their own grandchildren.  Denny was 82 years old.

On Thanksgiving Day friend and legal colleague David Levine died after being diagnosed with lung cancer just a few months earlier.  David was not a smoker and was a big health nut.  His son eulogized him as having a “sharp wit and a clarity of thought.”  No doubt true.  David was 56 years old. 

Grandma, Uncle Dan, Miranda and Natasha were back for Thanksgiving as Deb made the feast.  16-year-old Clarissa and I were in Palm Springs, CA at the annual field hockey festival.  It’s a chance for high school players to be seen by college coaches.  I was a driver/chaperone.  C had a good festival playing with a team of mostly seniors.  Natasha played over the Thanksgiving holiday in an alumni field hockey game at Columbus Academy with her (and C’s) personal coach, Christina Williams (a former Stanford all-American) and Tash’s former high school teammates Sue Ferger (Duke), Layne Averill (Michigan State), Ellie Szkowny (Davidson). 

Tash returns from her final exams on Tuesday night.  Miranda works until December 23^rd, so she, husband Ben and their two cute dogs will arrive that evening.  Grandma and Uncle Dan are expected Christmas morning.