The Simple Things Tue, Dec 20, 2016

Nowadays, it seems we are driven to celebrate and share virtually everything. When we have kids, we have a party celebrating their graduation from preschool and then kindergarten and then again from elementary school and then again from middle school and so on...Having two daughters, I always felt bad for the boys that had to come up with these elaborate routines for asking them to school dances, each one more complex than the other. When everything is considered that important, I wonder what is truly important.

My grandparents were married for over 60 years. They rarely left each other's side and they were truly best friends. People often asked me what their secret was and they always expected it to be some grand thing. I'll tell you the secret. It was a lifetime of simple things. Every morning, my grandpa would wake up early and go downstairs and wash my grandma's car. He knew that she loved to leave every day in a clean car and I'm sure it reminded her of him while she was driving. That was how they started each day and when they were together they were always near each other and often holding hands. Simple.

And yes, that car is the same one you all see my drive up in every day. It was my grandpa's before he passed and then my grandma's and then my dad's and my daughter drove it until the engine starting having trouble. I rebuilt that engine and even though I should probably sell it, I just love driving away in the morning in it. It reminds me of a simpler time and how important it is to pay attention to the simple things, as they are probably what builds to become the great things like my grandparent's marriage or this incredible company that we all work for.