8 Sep 2023, Friday
8 Sep 2023, Friday
Prioritized Daily Task
Send Elain a picture text message. It is just the two of us left
9:00 AM - Saratoga Springs Temple appointment, for Proxy Endowment Saratoga Springs Utah Temple
2:30 PM - Clara's softball game
4:00 PM - Dinner at the Root home and visit family
6:30 PM - Visit the Radmans
I was up early, showered, shaved, cooked oatmeal and toast for breakfast. I sent Elain a text message with a picture and a note because I have not heard from her since we were in Florida at Ora's funeral, on 17th August 2023. Mirko, Ljubica, Debbie, and I attended the Saratoga Springs Temple. We did family endowments. We came home, had lunch, and went to Clara Gourley's softball game. We left before it was over to have dinner with the Root family. Mirko, Ljubica, and Bojana were very close to the Root family when they live here in 1990s. All their children and grandchildren came to have dinner and visit. We took pictures and then drove a short distance to see Jordan and Lori Radman. They were babysitting some of their grandchildren. Jordan took Mirko to the Holiday Memorial Cemetery to see Ivan and Janet's graves. I followed with Debbie, Ljubica, and Bojana for 2 to 2.5 miles. We took a picture. Mirko, Ljubica, and Bojana had a good visit with Jordan. Mirko led in a group prayer at Ivan and Janet's gravesite. When we got back home in Lehi everyone was ready to have prayer and go to bed.
Note: Love is the noblest attribute of the human heart. President Russel M. Nelson
Note: There are some similarities between Michael McAlpin and Jordan Radman. They are both loving and caring husbands to their wives, Autumn and Louri, who have muscle and nerve disorders that cause physical handicaps but do not stop them from functioning as wives and mothers. They are both men of self-confidence and successful in dealing with others in business and life. Michael is the oldest child (b. Mar. 1976) in his father's family and Jordan is the youngest (b. Mar. 1966) of his father's children. Ivan and Jordan sold two companies they started to a Fortune 500 Company. The first they made some mistakes and had to live through a 7-year non-compete clause in the contract. there was a down market in the construction industry. The second time they sold they were more experienced and non-compete was only for North America. Now the rest of the world is open to them.
Jordan took over his father's business, WF Engineering Inc., after Ivan died in 2009. WF Engineering Inc. was founded in 1985, in Salt Lake City, UT. They are in a nitch position in the insulation industry. They have dealt with Owens Corning ranked #37 in the world in 2022, almost from the beginning of WF Engineering.
Note: Autumn's physical condition - Charcot Mariei Tooth, CMT., disorder; Neuropathy, Hammer Toe or OrthoInfo (AAOS), hands drawing, and trimmers. There are fewer than 200 people diagnosed with this condition each year
Note: At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..'
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. The pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all teammates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By this time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.
SUSAN ROOT SENT ME THESE NAMES FROM A PICTURE THAT WAS TAKEN. I DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PICTURE. The order of the family members is going to be off but the names are all here.
front row starting with the 2-year-old: Brant Root, Annalise Root, Lyla Allen, Marissa Root, Cassy Root, Clara Hansen (on Cassy's lap), Emma Root, Lydia Root
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