Thoughts

Just wanted to share some of my Uncle's thoughts that he had written in his journal the last few years. These were read by his son (my cousin Mike) at the service this past week. I think they are beautifully written, thought provoking and wise. Enjoy.

Random Thoughts – by John Henningsen and read by Michael Henningsen

Marriage

I believe that marriage and all that comes with it boils down to love and commitment. It’s an easy statement to make, but not always easy to carry out. JoAnn and I have been fortunate to make it through some very trying times and some very satisfying times as best friends and still in love. It seems we both made the right choices back in 1963! It’s been GREAT!

Family

For me family comes first – before anyone or anything! If family does not come first, then something is badly broken. Either the family itself is seriously dysfunctional or individuals within the family have let their values fall out of their proper order. I believe that family is the anchor or compass of our lives. Friends can come and go, but a person’s family does not change. It is something you can always fall back on or go back to. Often friends will fall by the wayside or even turn against us. As they say, “Blood is thicker than water”.

Children

Children are the greatest joy that marriage can bring. Raising children and helping them develop into responsible and productive adults is the greatest challenge that God could possibly assign to parents. Carrying out this assignment brings many highs and many lows, many joys and some disappointments, achieved expectations, many surprises – but mostly it brings many proud moments and a sense of achievement for parents. It is hard work being a parent. In most cases, if you work hard, keep your eye on the ball, and have a sense of humor – the result is success!

Responsibility

One big thing I have always preached as a husband, father, and as a manager in my work life - is that we all have to take responsibility for our actions – good or bad. If we make a decision, we have to accept it and either enjoy the fruits of success or the woes of failure. If it is the latter, accept our mistake and correct it and do not make it again. This attitude is healthy; the opposite is unhealthy and will only bring more woe.

Athletics

Many will say that athletics are not important and a waste of time. For me, they were an important part of my “life education”. I learned how to trust others, how to solve problems, how to lead others, how to analyze other tendencies rather quickly, how to work within an organization, the importance of giving yourself up for the great good sometimes, and how to enjoy and relax while doing physical activity. Pretty good education!

Reality of Life

The proven reality of life is that is consists of “ups and downs”. Those that do not understand this will experience a mighty struggle with life in this world. Life is never all good or all bad, but it is a combination of the two. If you understand this, you can get through the tough times and not get too excited when things are going extremely well. The most important thing is to understand things are not always going to be either good or tough and to “just keep moving forward”.