Family

This weekend I went on a road trip to Springfield, MO. One of my friends, Phil, lives there, so Tova, Stephen, and I all packed up and took the 7-hour trip to the Dieke farm. Phil's dad has brain cancer, and this weekend they were having a benefit for their family. So we went to support, and, well, have fun. Dang, I don't think I've ever had that much fun either. I have been on my share of road trips with great friends to amazing places, but something about this trip was different.
As soon as we got there, Phil's mom practically attacked us with her sweet nature. She is so caring, sweet, and just eager to make us feel at home. It was so relaxing. Phil's dad, who is really sick, was such a trooper. That's not even the word really. He is incapable of doing anything he used to. He can't work, he can't play, he can hardly hang out without getting worn out. But he does it, and he does it happily. He also hates being around lots of people, getting attention, and accepting help. He's totally giving himself up to show his love for the people around him.
This weekend got me to thinking about family. The Dieke family is awesome. They love each other so much, and when you are around them you can feel it. And you feel loved like you are one of them. My first thought was that I need to show my love more to my own family. I am constantly complaining about my parents and siblings, but today I took a second and I told each of them just how much I love them. More than that though, I started to think about what it means to be family. To me, family are the people who love you no matter what...if that's even possible. In that case, I am pretty damn lucky, because I have tons of people who are around me every day, not even including my real family, who I could say love me like that. So if you are one of those people, I love you too. More than you will ever know.

Brilliant.

This is probably my favorite commercial ever. The idea is awesome, the production is crazy cool, music is perfect, and I love the tag. Go BBDO.

I wanna love like that.

Tonight I watched this special on TLC called "Half Ton Man." The pictures above are of Patrick Meuler, who was just shy of 1200 lbs. at his heaviest. The stories are very sad, and I seriously was heartbroken over the pain that morbidly obese people like this guy have to experience. But, this was not what struck me the most. Patrick is married, and he has been for at least ten years now. He met his wife when he was around 700 lbs., and she, when questioned about the effects of his weight on her perception of him, replied, "I only saw him from the neck up, and I saw the smart, fun-loving man inside." In fact, they have never been able to consummate their marriage, because he has never been capable of having sex with his wife. I was amazed. If I ever learn to love so blindly as that, I will be satisfied.