GREETINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY,

 

It is amazing how quickly the days of life go by. It seems like only yesterday when I sent out the last Christmas letter. I was really hoping to get this letter out back during Christmas of 2000 but realized that there was no way that was going to happen. I knew that a number of things were in the works and I so wanted to share them with you when they happened. Second, I just never felt the time was right to do so. So now I sit down and share with you what has been going on over the last 17 months. I know it is a lengthy letter and I hope you will indulge me. This letter is being sent to family and friends. The friends include people I coach at RJ Tennis and diving and so want to be sure to include experiences that everyone can identify with. And as I wrote this letter I realized how the days have blurred into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years. As I have gotten older I continue to grow in appreciation for life and the people that I get to meet and work with. The reality is that life is short. And with this perspective I need not fear what others are going to think of me if I tell them that I appreciate them, that I am thankful for having met them, and or that I love them. All of you who have received this letter have had an impact for good in my life. I am thankful for that. I am grateful for that. It is my sincerest hope that you enjoy reading this letter.

 

BEING ONE OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS AT THE 1999 BACCALAUREATE

 

Last year I shared with you how I had the great fortune of being one of the guest speakers at the Lake Braddock Secondary School’s Baccalaureate. I was so blessed by that fortuitous occasion. The number of people who approached me months afterwards humbled me. They were kind with their warm words of praise. This one lady in particular I would see everywhere. And without fail she would stop and tell me, “You are such a good looking young man. You were absolutely awe-inspiring at the Baccalaureate. Those kids were lucky to have you as a speaker. You were so eloquent. Especially when you said those kind, gracious and generous words about your mother to the thousand plus people. It was really heart warming and beautiful”. The first few times I was gracious and would say, “Thank you”. But after the Baccalaureate was now a mere faded memory, I couldn’t take it anymore. So when this lady came up to me and I knew what she was going to say, I interjected, “NOW MOM. ENOUGH ALREADY!”

 

“LORD, PLEASE REMOVE THIS THORN IN MY FLESH: KENNY!”

 

Kenny and I play doubles together and we have become quite a team. Our games have improved so much in our individual efforts to beat one another. Yes, Kenny continues to trounce me, demoralize me, humiliate me, and enrage me on the tennis courts. Despite the fact that I have been meticulous in working on my weaknesses, developing a game plan, and conditioning with more intensity, I have come up short. With the exception of two matches, Kenny has completely destroyed me on the tennis courts over the last 15 months. Nevertheless, I remain steadfastly optimistic. For my game is improving and nothing is going to impact my indomitable spirit. But I digress. When we play doubles Kenny is this imposing figure on the court standing 6”3”, dexterous, adroit, and adept, for anything that comes his way. I am just this unassuming player at 5’10”. At the end of the match when we go to shake our opponent’s hands after soundly beating them the encomium begins. They laud Kenny for his majestic prowess on the court. They rave over his power and strength. He blasts his serves in over 100 miles an hour, hits Andre Agassi like forehands, Gustavo Kuerten like backhands, and Pete Sampras like overheads. All of the players are standing at the net as they continue on praising Kenny, “You are certainly not a 4.0 player. Not even 4.5, but 5.0.” I nod my head in agreement and smile. They then turn to me and say, “Nice match.” Can you believe it?! Our opponents return Kenny’s serve and even break his serve now and then. I strategically place the ball and most often hold serve at love. I dissect our opponents with laser like consistency and set my partner up for the kill. They try to over power me and I hit that tennis ball dropping it at their feet, surreptitiously lobbing over their heads, and angling the ball to the left or right with such adroitness they concede the point. “Nice match,” is all they have to say to me? What can possibly be going through their heads? Oh well. I recognize that it is only my ego that is bruised. It’s no big deal. I’ll get over it. A compliment to one part of the team is a compliment to the whole team. But can you believe it?

 

WWW.RJTENNIS.COM

 

            How can I write a letter and not talk about RJ Tennis? This past summer I had the opportunity to meet with Zurama. She lives in Truro and is a relatively new citizen to the United States. She told me what country she was from but Julie Fintel had to bring in a map to show me where it was. Zurama didn’t know anything about tennis and she wanted to learn everything about it. So she asked me to coach her. As I coached her I learned that she was making great strides in learning the English language. While we would pick up tennis balls I would talk to her about America and what a great country it was. Then I was trying to do my part in helping her to improve her vocabulary so she could better understand the news of the day. I was trying to teach her light and easy vocabulary words about the political party system here. At the time the Presidential election was in full swing. So I shared with her words found in the newspaper associated with the Clinton/Gore era. For example: philanderer, promiscuous, cigars, humidor, prevaricator, mendacious, congenital equivocator, nefarious, pernicious, and confiscatory taxes. I tried to be fair and offer equal time to the other side so I would share with her about the other party. For example words associated with Ronald Reagan would be singular, paragon of integrity, noble, faithful, great, empowerment to the people, and more. I always had a good time with her on that, but somehow she caught on that I was a conservative.

 

I have been going down to Saddlebrook Tennis Resort in October and April for the last couple of years. I encourage as many of my tennis clients to go with me because it is a great time and we learn so much. On one occasion I was in this one group with the head pro, Randy. It didn’t take long for me to become cognizant of the fact that I was the weakest link in the group. Each player had had professional tennis experience with the ATP or the WTA. Randy informed the group that this one man was coming to the class for some serious and intense training for the upcoming National 35 & older tennis tournaments. As the man came onto the tennis court Randy introduced himself. Then he proceeded to introduce us one by one. Randy started off saying, “This young lady was on the tour at one time and was ranked in the 200’s. This young man is currently working himself up the world rankings and is now around 700”. Then he turned and pointed to me, and said, “This is Rob”. I was wondering what he was going to say for I am really this putz of a tennis player next to these giants in the game. He continued, “Yes, Rob has been playing for many years. In fact, he played Sampras and won 6-2, 6-2”.  The man’s eyes flew wide open as he was thinking that he was way in over his head. Randy continued again, “Yep, Betty Sampras. That poor old lady never stood a chance against Rob”. We all got a good laugh out of that.

 

I have clients who challenge me to be the best teaching tennis pro I can be. I continually have to stay on top of my profession to challenge, inspire, and motivate all of the people that I teach. I have clients like Lisa Baugh who is like a pit bull. She sees my Achilles and is inexorable in her efforts to exploit it. As a result, my backhand groundstroke is better than ever. My volleys have improved due to Charlene Berry pummeling her forehand down the line right at me. And then Barbara-The Terminator/Buttercup-Leavitt goes in for my jugular with her put-away volleys and overheads. Klaus Schadle keeps me on my toes at the clinics. With all of the estrogen on the court he is the first to tell me, “Tell the ladies to stop talking and let’s hit some tennis balls!” Debbie Sheehan loves to come out and just take lessons. The shot of the winter was her running forehand, down the line and around the post. Everyone cheered as she hit that shot. Alicia Porter is always excited when I come back from tennis camp to see how I am going to change her forehand. Watching Rex Wade and Ron-Tree-top-Fraser play doubles together has been enjoyable as they continue to lift their games to ever-higher echelons. Running on Monday mornings with Val Bruton has kept many unwanted pounds off of me. Lorrie-It takes an hour and a half to play a USTA match no matter who she plays-Rodbart has become the closest thing to being a human wall that one can be. Gabe-The Rock-Ivanescu continues to astound me as he can take bullets at the net without flinching. Bill Potapchuk continues to improve his tennis game. It’s all I can do to stay just ahead of him. But he is quickly closing the gap. The volley of the year goes to Lynn Hardy. Klaus had a short ball and went running up to the net with a huge backswing. Without stopping he connected with enough velocity to send the ball into the next time zone. I was momentarily fearful for Lynn and saw her life flash before my eyes. However, standing just 10 feet away from Klaus, she stood her ground put up her racquet and hit the ball for a winner. I still don’t know how she did it. Rachel Schwieger. What can I say about her? It never fails. The infusion of life and excitement goes up exponentially every time she comes to practice. She has such a connection with everyone. Catherine-Thesaurus-Bergstrom has been an inspiration to us all. On the courts she is relentless in the pursuit of excellence. And off of the courts she is filled with grace. Watching Zurama, Libby Sumner, Chris Lally, and Julie Kidd all improve this last winter was awesome. To see them have rallies back and forth and play well thought out points was thrilling as their coach. To see them smile after the long exchanges was and is rewarding to no end. Marleen Richlak is a new comer and has learned quickly how serious the tennis drills can be. For she has picked up a few bruises here and there.

           

            The junior program has been building up slowly over the years. We have had a great deal of success with getting a large number of our students to make the varsity tennis programs at local high schools. Nazo Burgy started playing tennis about three years ago and decided she wanted to make the high school team. Her first year she got cut. But that didn’t stop her. She kept right on playing and did everything she could to improve. She made the team in her sophomore year. Made the line up in her junior year. And looks to improve for her senior year. Stephen and Matt Hardy have been participating in local tournaments. Man, my hat is off to them. It takes guts to put it all on the line like that. Eddie Hale and Brian Carome continue to win me over every time I see them. Their enthusiasm and pure enjoyment for the sport is refreshing. Jacob Potapchuk was a young lad of 5 years when he first started. Now he is about to turn 15 years old. He is a good player. Emily Peterson and Kelsea Jones continue to make me smile every time I see them. Both of them live their lives with passion. This past fall I got to coach the CYA (Catholic Youth Association) tennis program for St. Andrews Parish here in Centreville. Wow! It was incredible. Barbara Shekailo, the Director, would have the lesson start off with a group prayer. Then I would teach them the lesson for the day. And after a group game, all of the kids and any of the parents who were there, would hold hands and close in prayer. I loved it. And finally, during the spring tennis season I was trying to teach the kids about the presidential line of succession while teaching them how to volley. It is a neat little fun game. But I wasn’t certain if the kids were really grasping the concept or not. One day that changed. This group of juniors that I coached during the spring, Hailey, Alexandra, Brooks, Patrick, and Caitlin, were all playing this game; all of them between 6 and 7 years old. I put them all in line and I saw Caitlin looking to her left and counting from the far left to her position and then screamed, “I am tired of always being the President Pro Tempore of The Senate”.

 

BACK TO COACHING HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY DIVING, AGAIN…W.T. WOODSON

 

            I had stepped down from coaching high school varsity diving two years ago and really believed that that would be it for me. However, the Lord had another plan in mind for me. That plan being coaching the W. T. Woodson Dive Team. That first day as coach is always critical. The kids look to the coach to determine what style of leadership he is going to bring to the team and also to see just how much they will be able to get away with during the year. I never take any offense to that for it is human nature. All of this is old stuff for me. As a coach who has aspirations to motivate and inspire the kids towards greatness, I know the obstacles that I have to overcome to prevail; for the obstacles are myriad in number. I came into the season with a plan to build a foundation for the years to come. This was going to be a year to build the team, but what a fantastic season we had. Our boys and girls teams amassed impressive 6 wins and 1-loss records respectively. The girls were runner-up district champions and our boys were the district champions. I was so proud of them. We worked hard everyday we were at practice. Those divers improved so much it was amazing. Each one of the divers had grown so much. Due to their hard work the team quickly became a force within the region. However, more importantly than that was the growth of maturity that was demonstrated by the divers. I was humbled. I never quit being amazed at seeing what happens to a group of people when they believe in a common vision or dream. This team of divers was committed to working hard, committed to disciplining themselves, dedicated in attending practice, encouraged one another, and they recognized that the team was greater than themselves. Regrettably, there are still those individuals in life that take a longer time to win over. Although they see the joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and passion that others are experiencing, their zeal for life is all about themselves, and therefore, harbor disappointment and disillusionment. 

 

Doug Roper placed 4^th in the State meet. It was truly a beautiful experience to have culminated all of our years together with him diving as near to the best of his abilities that he could have done. There, with each dive, all of the years that we had worked together towards a common dream were coming to an end. All of the years of dedication and the commitment to the pursuit of excellence, all of the years of struggle, challenging, tears of pain from crashing on the water, all of the years of inspiring and motivating, and all of the years of taking a stand by his side, were all culminating to this one experience and moment in time. I couldn't have been more proud of Doug as he poured his heart out into each dive. The cheers of his peers and the spectators engulfed the arena as he continued to push the limit of personal excellence. There he was beating the divers who had not been beaten. But more than all of that was the joy that was in my heart that the two of us had given it our absolute best. We were both committed to pursuing after the dream and we left no stone unturned. There, we put it all on the line and in that rare moment in one's life, it all fell into place. Good things really do happen to good people. And good guys don't always come in last place. For Doug was on top of the high school diving world for this one moment in time.

 

But the blessings don’t stop there. Just recently I was at the mall and saw a young man who used to be on the Lake Braddock Varsity Swim team. Years ago I used to ride the bus to practice and would sit in the front seat. Usually, this young man was sitting up towards the front all by himself so I would talk with him and ask him how school was going and about his family. Every day we road the bus we would have this conversation and I would share a few words of encouragement with him. After the swim meets I would ask him how he did and then congratulate him on a job well done. This ostensibly little routine went on for two years. Soon he graduated and went off to college and I would run into him every now and then. This year was different though. We met up and shared what was going on in each other’s lives. He told me he graduated from college and then went on to computer school to receive a certification for computer programming. I told him how proud I was of him for all that he had done. He learned how to speak and write English, did all of the homework, projects, worked part-time, was on the swim team, made new friends, stayed focused on his dreams to graduate from college, and honored his mother and father. He stood there and smiled as I shared this with him. I suggested that we exchange e-mail address. He agreed. I wrote mine down and said, “Let me put ‘Rob the dive coach’ on mine so you will remember who I am.” “Oh no, Rob. I will always remember you. For you were my best friend when I was in high school.” The world stood still for a brief moment in time as I was humbled beyond belief. Tears moved deep within my heart as I shared my gratitude to the Lord for those kind, generous, and gracious words. My spirit was rekindled and passion for heeding His calling renewed. As my old math teacher, Will Misner, used to say, “You just never know”.

 

SUMMER DIVING HAS PRODUCED A MYRIAD OF LIFETIME MEMORIES

 

I am happy to report that the Truro Divers have successfully defended their Division I Team Championship, again. Yes, this past summer there were many teams that thought they had a chance to dethrone the reigning champions. On paper, our opponents were correct. The Truro dive team was vulnerable. However, like Liberal Democrats, our opponents belief in static analysis was their down fall. Being a good conservative I knew that things change. Behavior changes. Did our opponents think that we were going to sit down and just hope that we would win? Once I recognized how vulnerable we were I went straight to the kids. We had a meeting and I laid it all out on the table for them. I told them that there were teams that wanted to beat us. Teams that would love to see us lose. I told them that others believe that one can only go up or down. I told them that I chose to stay on top and widen the gap of excellence between our opponents and us. I worked to inspire the kids to give and do more. I told them that if we had any hope of defending our title we had to implement double and triple practices. I went around to each diver and told them how many points that they had to improve their individual scores. I looked them all in their eyes and asked them, “Do you guys want it? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to improve?” “YES!” they screamed.

 

It was truly beautiful to see the team dynamics change. Everyone was committed to doing their best. Parents got involved as well. We had some morning practices, afternoon practices, and sometimes, evening practices. It didn’t matter if it was raining or cold, the kids were there. Even after the historically long Cracker Jack Meet we held a practice. I was dead tired but the team was enthused. Parents were sitting behind me clapping for the kids as they continued to learn new and harder dives. The Truro divers were getting stronger with each meet. We had one tie at the beginning of the season, and from that point on, we never looked back. The other teams were genuinely surprised and gracious as well as we handed them a defeat. It came down to the end of the season with Tuckahoe. The competition with Tuckahoe has always been close. The kids knew that if we were to lose that meet that we would lose the team championship as well. All of the kids worked hard for this one moment in time. The entire team rallied for this meet. Even Bryan Horr did his part to improve. It was exciting to see him improve so much during the season. But there we were at the meet. Tuckahoe was ready to take us on. However, the Truro divers established such a high quality of diving from the beginning that even the Tuckahoe rep knew that their chances were quickly fading. How awesome it was to see each diver dive to the best of their abilities. It was great to see the selflessness that was demonstrated by all of the kids. It is not until the team members learn to be selfless that a team can become great. I am proud to say that this was one of the best teams that I have ever coached.

 

As great as all of the victories are though, that is nothing compared to helping kids to get on the straight and narrow path. This past winter I was at a high school practice and Chris Rauer was there with his team. He is a 15-year-old sophomore young man. I have worked with him since he was 7 years old. He introduced me to his beautiful girlfriend; “This is Rob. He is my mentor.” I looked at Chris with such deep admiration, respect, and utter shock. The road we had traveled on together was not an easy one. In fact, there was a time when I pulled him aside, along with his mother, and told him that I had done everything I could to give him the best that I had, but to no avail. I told Chris that there was no way that I was going to put up with disrespect. I told him that I wished him well, but from that time onward I would no longer take a stand by his side. However, if he were going to be on the team, there would be rules. Mutual respect and honor would be maintained. I don’t know what exactly happened since then, but the two of us have become a team. Mutual respect, honor, and trust, have been the bond. This is what coaching is all about.

 

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL WHOSE THE GREATEST DIVE COACH OF THEM ALL?

 

During the winter of 1999 and spring of 2000 I had the opportunity to be the assistant coach for the Patriot Dive Club at George Mason University. What an awesome experience that was. I know I like to promulgate that I am the best dive coach around, but I really do that tongue in cheek so as to instill confidence in my divers. I want them to believe that they have the best coach so there are no insecurities that are bred within their minds. Well, I have to say that I had the opportunity to work with the best dive coach around, Roland McDonald. He is passionate about his job as a coach. He is fervent in the pursuit of individual and corporate excellence. It was an honor to work with him. I considered myself quite fortuitous for having been in his shadow and learning from him. I look at him and think that I still have so far to go as a coach.

 

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HER FACE (HOW I MET JEANANNE)

 

I left off with my last Christmas letter with a postscript about this girl that I had been dating. My brother-n-law met her on a flight. He is a pilot for U.S. Airways and she is a flight attendant. On the red eye back from CA the two of them got into a conversation. He asked her if she was seeing anyone and she said, “No”. He continued to probe a little further and wanted to know what kind of guy she was looking for. She went on a little diatribe about how she had been dating the wrong men all of her life. “Now I am looking for a good Christian man that loves the Lord. Also, if he were athletic, fit, had a warm personality, could carry on a conversation, inexorably confident, and had a nice heart, that wouldn’t hurt either,” she told my brother-n-law. He told her that she should meet his brother-n-law. “Where does he live,” she asked. Ever so quick, he replied, “Somewhere in Centreville.” That somewhere in Centreville was in his basement! He didn’t want to blow it before she got a chance to meet me. So he quickly changed the subject and told her that I was a tennis pro. She got my work number and told him not to tell me that she might call and take a lesson to check me out. “Sure, no problem,” he said. He came home from that trip and yelled down to the basement, “Rob, this flight attendant who lives out in Arlington may call you and take lessons to check you out, but she told me not to tell you.” “Great,” I yelled back. “What is she like?” I asked.

 

So I received a call from this woman and she said that she had heard that I was a good tennis pro and wanted to take some lessons from me. I didn’t know it was her because I do get calls like this from time to time. Then she asked for directions and told me she lived in Arlington. BINGO! It was her. Boy, did I turn up the charm. She didn’t even know what hit her. So on Friday morning I was sitting in my car when this beautiful woman knocked upon my car door. I looked out the window and there she stood. I got out and said, “Hi, my name is Rob.” “I am JeanAnne,” she said as a beautiful radiant smile came upon her face. Poor JeanAnne. She never stood a chance. All of the ladies came to tennis that morning for their lesson and I told my jokes and they all laughed. I kept by JeanAnne’s side when we were picking up the tennis balls and kept talking to her. Then practice was over. It went by so quickly. The next lesson was starting up and I yelled to Josh, “Hey, can you get this class going?” He knew what I was up to, and as guys always do for one another, he covered for me while I was closing in.

 

“I don’t make a practice of doing this, but would you go out with me?” I asked. “When?” she replied. “How about tomorrow?” I said. “Hmmm…I have to work tomorrow,” she said. “What do you do?” I asked her feigning not to know anything about her. “I am a flight attendant,” she replied. “Get out of here. Do you know my brother-n-law is a pilot?” I said feigning a surprised look. “What airlines do you work for?” I passionately asked. “US Airways,” she replied as she stood there frozen. “That is amazing. My brother-n-law is also a pilot for US Airways. Maybe you know him? But that would be kind of impossible I guess. It is a big company. Do you know him?” I innocently asked. “What is his name?” she replied with a pensive look upon her face. “Joe Stein, he has been flying for years,” I said trying to squeeze the truth out of her. “Oh no. Can’t say that I do know him. You are right. It is a big company,” she said nervously. I just smiled and nodded. I was having fun with her right off. She didn’t want me to know that she was checking me out. In the beginning it’s all about how you play the game. Ironically, after all of that we finally decided that we would go out and we met up on Sunday morning at Immanuel Bible Church.

 

I already knew there was something uniquely singular about her. Now I wanted to know just how serious this relationship could get. I wanted to know where she stood in her faith without me having to ask her all of these questions. Church service was really good that day. The pastor was preaching right out of the Bible and straight to the hearts of the parishioners as he always does each Sunday morning. I introduced her to the pastor before we left and then we had some lunch and talked at length. There was something different about her and I had to learn if she was for real. The first thing that attracted me to her, besides her stunning beauty, well then the second thing, was her soft heart and sweet spirit that she possessed. We continued to date and I had concluded early on that I was ready to see only her. I kind of sent a floater out there to see where she stood. She had just come off of a bad break up and still needed some time. So we kept dating for awhile. It was amazing. Maybe it was the culmination of a lot of life’s circumstances that brought me to this decision, but I could see myself getting married to this beautiful woman.

 

I had made certain that JeanAnne had seen me operate in my environment. I brought her to my high school dive end of the season party and introduced her to all of the kids. After a short while they came up to me and quietly gave me their blessings, although I hadn’t asked for them. That whole afternoon was one of the best memories of my life. I had been working with those kids for many years and I had told them that I was going to step down as the head coach of Lake Braddock. All of us were sitting around the table and talking and sharing about our favorite experiences. JeanAnne was by my side taking it all in. When there was a quiet moment in the conversation she turned to me and said, “You don’t need to have any children. For you have more children than anyone already.” When I heard her speak those words I knew that she had come to understand who I was and what I was all about. My affections for her were at an all time high. I knew that I wanted to see just her and only her. It had been a few months already and I decided to bring this up.

 

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

 

I was in Florida at tennis camp and JeanAnne and I talked on the phone. At the end of the conversation I asked her if she would like to see only me. I could tell by the deafening silence that this was not going to happen as I had hoped. Heck, who was I kidding? This beautiful woman could have any guy she wants. Why would she want me? Worldly speaking there were many other guys out there who could give her everything her heart desired. However, I had demonstrated honor, respect, and integrity with her all of our short days together. After talking on the phone a bit more with her, I told her, “I don’t think we should see each other anymore. It’s time we go on our own ways.” “We can still be friends, can’t we?” she asked. “No, as I have told you from the beginning. I have all the friends I could ever possibly want. I wish you the best. I hope you find the man who will give you all you desire,” I said. “Let’s pray,” I continued. Praying wasn’t anything new to us. In fact, it was one of the many qualities that I had found so beautiful about her. We would pray side by side, holding each other’s hands, and bowing before the Lord. This is what true intimacy was all about. It had nothing to do with what the world/MTV had been promulgating for all of these years. So we prayed over the phone. I asked that God would bless each one of us and that there would never be any animosity in our hearts towards one another. I thanked God that we kept our physical purity with one another out of respect and honor. After a few more moments of earnest prayer I told JeanAnne goodbye.

 

I wept. My heart was broken. Had I deceived myself into thinking that she was the one for

me? Had I been the one who was so desperate to get married? I had earnestly resolved a couple of years earlier that I was going to be single for the rest of my life unless the Lord brought along a woman into my life that would knock me upside the head. I really thought she was the one. Suzanne Rahal Monroe was at tennis camp, among others, and I poured my heart out to her. My friends and family were supportive of me. It took along time to get on with life. It was seven long arduous months until I was ready to get out there and start thinking about dating again. Kenny and others often encouraged me to move on. So I did.

 

UNFORGETTABLE

 

One night, October 2, 1999 to be specific, I was at this club with a friend of mine. I was having a good time. We were walking through the Claredon Grill, a nightclub, and let me interject that I am not into the clubbing scene by any stretch of the imagination, and I was thinking about getting on with life. “Yeah, I am ready. It’s time to move on,” I was thinking. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this light blue sweater that looked faintly familiar. I looked over to my side and there she was, JeanAnne. My heart leapt from my chest. I was still crazy for her. I looked over at the guy she was with and thought to myself, “That is the dude she left me for?” So I firmly placed my hand upon her shoulder and she turned around with a look of genuine surprise and happiness. I yelled to her through the loud music, “YOU LOOK GREAT! I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL.” It was short and sweet. I didn’t give her anytime to ask me any questions. She immediately checked out the woman I was with. 

 

The next day I told my brother-n-law, sister, and Kenny, that I had seen JeanAnne. All of them knew what was going on through my mind and told me not to even think about calling her. Just that I should get on with life. So I tried to get on with life but found myself consumed with every thought of her. So on October 10^th, 1999, I called and left a brief message telling her that it was good to see her once again and that I had hope life was going well for her. That was it. Then I checked my messages on the RJ Tennis line and had found that Alicia left a personal message for me to listen to. It was JeanAnne. She had called me on October 4^th. I couldn’t believe it. She returned my call and we talked once again. My heart was full of joy. She asked how my life was going. “GREAT!” I replied. What else did she think I was going to say? She told me that she wanted to come up to me and talk with me when we met, but she wasn’t certain if the woman I was with was my girlfriend or not. I knew what she was up to, but I wasn’t going to volunteer any information unless she specifically asked. She then told me that the guy she was with was just a friend who coaxed her into going out that night. They worked together. She further elucidated that she was not seeing anyone at the time. I just smiled as I heard her speak those words. I knew what was going on. Finally, about an hour into the conversation, she asked if that was my girlfriend or not. “Well, it was my ex-girlfriend,” I told her. “She is very pretty,” JeanAnne replied. “Of course, I only go out with attractive women,” I said smiling. She laughed. “Well, if you ever want to go out with another one of your ex-girlfriends, give me a call,” she humbly said. While I heard those words come out of the receiver on my end I did the Tiger Woods victory arm swing through the air.

 

We had a tortuous beginning. Both of us, having been single and never married all of our lives, were finding it challenging to bring our single worlds together. However, after dating her for a long time I knew that I really liked her. Well, I really more than just liked her. But these days people throw around the words, “I love you,” so loosely. I was on a trip with the Hudsons to go watch Jeff dive at a dive meet at James Madison University. I was in the van with them for a couple hours there and a couple hours back. I asked them about their relationship and asked when Kirk had told Sandy that he loved her. And then I shared my philosophy on how people are so cavalier with the words early on in the relationship. Poor Kirk, Sandy, Julie, and Scott, I talked the whole way home. It was obvious what was going on in my heart. They could see that I loved JeanAnne but that I was afraid to tell her. They let me talk and interjected a few thoughts here and there. It was an awesome trip.

 

I HONESTLY LOVE YOU

 

“God has blessed me for having brought you into my life. You are like no other woman that I have ever dated. You have won my heart over. My heart is yours. I love you, JeanAnne,” I told her as I poured my heart out to her. “I love you too,” she told me with a beautiful smile on her face. The next time I saw Kirk and Sandy I told them that I told JeanAnne that I loved her. They smiled.

 

THE HARSH REALITIES OF LIFE…JAMAICA

 

We had an opportunity to go to Jamaica this past year. I teach tennis for a few hours a day and they take care of all of our expenses when we are on the resort. This last time that we were there was truly a life changing experience. This was an entry I made in my journal.

 

There are a group of Jamaicans who walk up and down the beach and ask if there is anything that they can do for you. I would just talk with these guys and try to learn everything about them. To the left of the resort they had a little spread of necklaces, caps, sculptures, and on and on it goes. I made friends quickly with them and in particular, George. George invited JeanAnne and I to have lunch with his family. So I arranged to meet up with George on the beach one afternoon. When I had gotten there at the appointed time I had learned that George had gone fishing out in the bay so that he could make JeanAnne and I lunch. After he got his shoes on we walked down the beach and through the woods to the main road and then back to the resort to get JeanAnne. From there we got a taxi. On the island everyone jumps into a taxi. And I mean everyone. As many people as they can possibly fit into it. So little petite JeanAnne was sitting on my lap as we were flying down the highway. Their highway is a two lane, tortuous, labyrinth like road. There we were in the packed taxi praying that the angel of the Lord would protect us from flying off of the road and never to be heard from again. Our eyes flew open wide one brief moment as the driver came to a halt about 2 feet from a truck. JeanAnne could feel my squeeze around her waist as we nearly plowed into the back of the truck.

 

Once we made it pass that skirmish we came to our stop. There at this intersection were George's friends. All of these guys were on beautiful motorcycles. These guys had learned that people needed to get up and down the mountain. So a few guys waited patiently on their motorcycles for people to ask them for rides. I thought, "OK, this will be interesting. If this is how George lives, then I want to experience how he lives." JeanAnne said, "There ain't no way that you are getting me on one of those things!" I turned to George and asked, "Is there any other way up the mountain?" After a taxi ride up the mountain we came to his street. We got out and immediately one could see the depth of poverty all around. There were no paved side walks to walk on. It was a beaten down path. And with each step I was reminded of how proud he was when he told me that he had just added on a second room to his home.

 

The homes were not on legal property. They were squatter's homes. We kept walking for some distance and he said, "Here it is." His girlfriend was waiting at the front door of their home. However, there was no door. I introduced JeanAnne to her, Lorraine, and she was so kind and generous. George was showing me around the house that was like a small shed in one's back yard. The main entrance was around back and so we went there, and again, there was no door. JeanAnne was in front of me and there was excitement in the home as they were receiving and welcoming guests. I could see Lorraine fixing the blankets on her bed so as to tidy up just a bit more so that we wouldn't think that their home was a mess. Again, I was moved. Lorraine threw open her arms and embraced both JeanAnne and myself. The love of God was quite evident.

 

After a brief moment I could see the book that I had given to George days earlier, "Left Behind," on the table. She told me that she had enjoyed reading it, but that she was not nearly done with it yet. I asked her if she had been teaching George how to read? She told me that she was working on that whenever she could. One day I saw George on the beach and I went up to him and saw that he was going through the Scriptures. He asked me if I would read to him. I started reading and then asked him to read a few verses and immediately recognized that he couldn't read. I tried to teach him to recognize the words, "Lord, Jesus, and Christ." We read through the entire book of Philippians and talked about it as we read through it. Then we prayed together. I told her that I would try to send her the rest of the series when I got back to the States.

 

I sat down at the kitchen table and Lorraine came up to me with her copy of the Bible and opened it to Psalms. I looked at her hand and saw a major burn that had not healed. "What happened?" I asked her. "I burnt myself on the stove," she replied. I looked behind her to see a tiny makeshift stove. Then without missing a beat, she stood there before me and recited from memory, word for word, the complete chapter that she had opened. When she finished it was evident that pride and joy were in her heart. "Praise the Lord," I said. Then George showed me to his tiny refrigerator. He opened it up and there was only water and about 3 to 4 lobsters that he had caught when he was out in the bay. That was it. Nothing more. "This is what we will have for lunch," He said as he smiled. Again, I was moved as he was willing to share with us from all that he had had.

 

I asked to look around their house and he gave me a tour. Their shower consisted of 4 wooden sticks with pieces of plastic around the sides and a bucket in the middle. He explained that they fill the bucket up and then stand in the middle and take a huge sponge bath outside. Then to the outhouse. It is shared with by two families. Lorraine's mother lives next door in her home. Again the size of her home was like that of a shed in one’s back yard. The running water is a hose and a spicket that is also shared by the two families. I asked how he was able to get electricity. Apparently one home in the community is designated to get hooked up to the government's source and then they connect longggggggg wires to each home.

 

All the while that George was walking around and showing me everything, JeanAnne was in the house with the kids and Lorraine. JeanAnne had given Lorraine a pair of her old earrings and a bracelet to one of the girls their. The girl was overwhelmed with joy to have received this piece of jewelry. The babies couldn't get enough of JeanAnne. They were all over her. It was beautiful to see how well JeanAnne had handled the whole experience.

 

I asked George if he could gather the family around so that we could pray together. The next thing I knew everyone was gathering around the bed and kneeling. Wow! This wasn't new to them. There we prayed before God. The power and the strength of their prayers were humbling to us. The love and joy and confidence that they lived out was awe inspiring to us as well.

 

We shortly left after taking some pictures so that we could share with others when we got home. We took a taxi home and I had given George some money for which he was grateful. He told me that he would use the money to buy a piece of glass so that the rain wouldn't come into their home any longer.

 

JeanAnne and I went back to our beautiful and luxurious room in the all-inclusive resort. We got down on our knees and prayed like we had never prayed before. We cried and offered up thanksgiving to the Lord who is truly gracious and generous to us.

 

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD

 

While we continued our stay on the island we have learned that George's situation is not unique. JeanAnne and I were able to give out Bibles, tooth brushes, toothpaste, and children’s books, to others that we met on the island. We were able to share these gifts due in large part to the generosity of the Hubbards, gracious people who I met this past summer on the Truro dive team, Mom, Dad and my sister, who so freely gave to us to share them with those on Jamaica. We were able to give a Bible to one of the maintenance people who earns $50 a week for 40 to 50 hours of work. He has four kids. He accepted the Bible and said, "No one has ever given me a Bible before."

 

Truly, working at Jamaica was a blessed experience. The exciting thing about being there was to see their faith in action. When we gave a Bible away, or toothbrushes and toothpaste, we prayed with them and asked for the Lord’s blessings. We prayed with many people and shared the Lord Jesus Christ with them. Each time we were blessed more than we ever thought could be possible. Lord willing, I am planning on returning back in September. I long to take more Bibles and other necessities to share with them. If any of you are so moved as to help out, please let me know. 

 

 

STUCK OUT IN THE BAY

 

One day JeanAnne and I took one of the Hobies out for a ride in the bay. After a week of sailing on one of these water vehicles I was feeling mighty confident about my newly found skills. I was so proud of how adept I had become. So after breakfast I took JeanAnne out on a ride. The bay breeze was brisk and the waves were moving nicely. I was manning the craft while JeanAnne was laying back and taking in the view. It was truly a spectacular view: the beach vista that is.

 

So there we were riding the waves as we made out way to the other end of the bay in 30 minutes. "What a great little ride that was," I thought. Now we will turn around and make our way back to the resort. So I turned the Hobie around and the brisk wind that had gotten us there had dissipated. The bay had become placid. Yes, the sea was a smooth as glass. JeanAnne and I were not worried at all. Surely the wind would pick up and we would be back in no time. Or so we thought

 

Through the course of the next two and a half-hours the sun was beating down upon us and we were getting thirsty and mighty irritable. I was doing everything I could to take advantage of the capricious wind. So there we were on this little piece of cloth that was about 3’ by 3’, the sail was flaccid, the sun was scorching, and ominous dark clouds were making their way in towards the other bay around the corner. Regrettably, we were not the benefactors of the incoming storm in the near distance. The gracious morning had turned to momentary consternation of our plight and then to that of contemptuous conversation. It didn’t matter what either one of us said to the other at that time. We just got frustrated and took it out on each other.  There in our imbroglio we were letting it all hang out. Just what the impetus was, I haven’t a clue. But we decided to address all of our perceived concerns that we had had with one another.

 

There were times when I had hoped that that distant storm was over us. That would have been easier for us to ride than the emotional waves we were riding. Since we have been single for so long it is not in our nature to try to placate the other individual. Our proclivity is to just say what’s on our mind. The exciting thing about this precarious moment was that I knew in my heart that I loved JeanAnne. I never felt that we were on the precipice of breaking up. For I was committed to her. But there were still these things that we needed to address. I mean, why not address them out here in the ocean? We weren’t going anywhere! Ironically, there was no real diatribe expounded by either one of us. Although forthright and candid, I believe we were genuinely trying to be sensitive towards one another. Soon our resort came in sight and the hope that we would soon be on shore rekindled our beleaguered spirits. We had addressed all of our concerns and then moved on to pontificate about all of the world’s problems. The two and a half hour ride back to the resort was physically tiring and emotionally trying at times, but when we stepped onto the shore we just smiled at one another. Soon we were laughing and grabbing something to eat. I was happy to be on land. And I was temporarily delirious as I thought of how happy I was that we worked everything out and that we would never have any other problems or arguments again. Of course I am jesting. That is a ludicrous statement.

 

AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE, IN THE FREEZING COLD, “WILL YOU MARRY ME”?

 

That was back in September and time was moving right along. It was becoming clear to me that I wanted to ask JeanAnne to marry me. I had talked about it with many friends and asked for ideas as to when and how I could ask her. Lisa Baugh took me to her jeweler and I got this great idea of what I wanted the ring to look like. Suzanne took me to the jewelry shows around town and through her connections I was able to find what I was looking for. Soon, on Christmas Eve, during that freezing biting cold night, I was on my knee in front of the National Christmas tree saying, “I long to honor you, serve you, edify you, and pray for you all the days of my life. I love you JeanAnne. Will you marry me?” “YES! YES!” were great soothing words to my soul. So I placed the engagement ring upon her finger and whispered in her ear, “I love you. Now let’s get the heck out of here. I am freezing cold.”

 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO, “AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER”?

 

So JeanAnne and I have been engaged for a few months now. It has been an awesome experience. She has lifted me to such great heights of joy and has taken me to the depths of Hades as well. As we have been approaching our wedding date there have been some anxieties that have crept up. This is not an unusual occurrence. We have had some, what I am saying? We have had many serious talks with one another and with our close friends. One of my friends told me that the road is not always a smooth and easy walk down the yellow brick road to marriage. He certainly wasn’t kidding. JeanAnne and I went back and forth sharing our expectations with one another. It became quite painful for us as we realized that we weren’t sharing the same visions for our future lives together. Through many long conversations and prayers we were not closer to any resolution. So late one night, after pouring our hearts out we agreed, “This was not going to work out for us”. And after a while more we closed in prayer and said goodbye. Through the tears we prayed and gave thanks to the Lord. I couldn’t believe it. Soon, I was going to be walking out that door and never see her again. My heart was breaking but I knew God was in control. So we continued to pray and in the final moments we said,  “Lord, not our will be done, but Yours; to Your honor and glory. In Jesus name, amen”. We hugged and embraced for what seemed like a long time. And then with a small tender kiss I said, “Goodbye,” and walked out the door. It is with deep sadness and painful sorrow that I share with you that we have ever so recently come to the conclusion that it is best that we go our separate ways. JeanAnne is truly a beautiful woman with a soft heart and sweet spirit. Her love for the Lord has helped encourage me in my walk with Him. I am forever a better man for having loved her.

 

BRAD SAYS TO ME, “DUDE, LOOK AT ALL THAT GRAY HAIR”!

 

Yep, it’s true. My divers feel completely comfortable around me. They feel quite free to say whatever is on their minds. I replied to him, “Hey dude, I am about to turn 40 years old this year”.  To which he replied, “Wow, you are getting old”. I just smiled because he will remember those words one-day as he nears 40. But the fact of life is that time will wait for no one. One of my life’s prayers has been that God would teach me to number my days that I may present to Him a heart of wisdom. Through these years I have learned that there are no guarantees for another day of life. Each one of us faces a final certainty. No one eludes this finality. Regrettably, some leave us way before what we perceive to be the fair allotment of time. Our hearts become broken and torn to pieces as life deals its blows. We even begin to question God and cry out, “Why”? There are no words that can possibly soothe the hearts of those who have had loved ones pass away this past year. And nor for those that are facing the challenges of mortality right now. However, I can say with all confidence that God is still Sovereign over all. Despite the harsh realities of life that some of us experience, God is gracious, kind and merciful. God is near to all that call upon His name.

 

I have learned that life is frail. It may seem that God’s power is innocuous or that He is even uncaring. However, we know that that is not true. Everyday I try to remember to count my blessings. I have an awesome family who loves, despite that they tell me that I was dropped at birth. I have been blessed with many friends who continue to have a profound impact upon my life. I even have enemies who seem to get riled up over the mention of my name. I have an awesome job that I genuinely love. But more importantly than all of that is how Jesus Christ loves me. I am thankful that I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I am thankful for the peace and the confidence that I have in knowing with absolute certainty that if anything should ever happen to me I will be in heaven with the Lord. Not because of who I am or what I have done, but because of the grace and finished sacrifice upon that old rugged cross.

 

Please know that my heart is with you and your family. I pray God’s best for you. And I also pray our paths will continue to intertwine for many more years to come. I covet your prayers. Grace and peace to you and your loved ones.

 

To the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

 

 

Rob Jr.