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What is that passion? Where is the joy? Where did it begin? Where did it go? Dig deeper. What are the principles taught to me by my parents? What stands out in my mind?
My Father: I remember finding a shoebox of photographs when I was 9 or 10 years old. Inside were photos of children sitting on Santa's lap. Then I looked more closely. The Santa in the photographs was my Father, and my Father was Santa Claus! I felt like bursting and telling the whole world that my Father was the real Santa! I ran to him with the shoebox of photos with joy and wonderment on my face. My Father quietly grabbed the box from my little hands, put the lid on the box, and looked at me and said, " I prefer to do my good deeds in private. You pray in your closet, not where everyone can hear you. Only what God sees in your heart is what is most important. It isn't about the reward and recognition of people." Then my Father tucked the shoebox under his arm and calmly left the room.
My Mother: She always said with total conviction that every child should have the big box of 64 colors with the built in sharpener in the back (representing resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and self-reliance). She would say it was every child's right because (1) God used all the colors in His creation, and we are made in His image, (2) all children should be empowered in choice, imagination, creativity, and potential, (3) if you can "see" an image/idea in your head, you can make it come out of your hands.
This was my beginning. This is intuitively where I begin again. And so, The Big Box of Colors was born.
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