Ron is a friend of mine at Taft Camp. He serves a sentence for a tax related offense that keeps him separated from his wife, Susie, but she visits him every Friday. They’ve been married for more than 30 years and I enjoy listening to him talk about what it means to build a loving relationship that lasts a lifetime. Ron gave me some good advice today.
He urged me to spend the rest of my life loving my wife rather than focusing on the career I wanted to build. Now that Ron is in his late 60s, he regrets the countless times that he worked late and missed dinners with his wife and children. Upon his release next summer, Ron said that he will devote the rest of his life showing Susie how much he appreciates her and he suggested that I not wait until retirement to express my love for Carole.
Both Carole and I are now 46, and we’ve both worked hard to keep our love flourishing through the many years of imprisonment during which we’ve built our marriage. But I’ve been consumed with preparations for my career since the beginning of my term and that preoccupation is even more intense now as I approach release. I’m glad that I spent two hours listening to Ron talk about marriage today, because I will need balance in my life upon release.
As a prisoner I work exceptionally hard, always focused from the time my eyes open before 2:00 every morning to begin my work. It’s always work. To me, work is not only the way I push through each day or prepare for release, it’s also a way that I strive to overcome challenges and contribute to Carole’s life. Even my two and three hours of daily exercise is a part of my work, as is every conversation I have or every book I read.
When I am home I intend to work hard. But I’ll need to ground myself in order to appreciate the wonders of my extraordinary wife. Every day I want to show how much I appreciate her. I want to savor the feeling of knowing that Carole is always beside me, that we’re living in the same house. We visited yesterday and she brought so much comfort with her love for me. I must cherish it always and remember how much I miss her now. When I am home, regardless of how hard I intend to work, I must remember to show Carole that our marriage and love is the center of my life. The sun rises and sets with her.
Ran 10 miles / 5,440 miles in 610 days
400 pushups / 87,800 pushups in 2010
Saturday, 14 August 2010
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