It is often hard to put into words the gifts that our families pass on to us. During the holidays some of them are little wrapped presents with baubles and bells. At other times they are cards or just the feeling of arms wrapped around us in a hug. And sometimes they are name passed on from one generation to another.
Early this morning my son Craig and his wife Jennifer welcomed a new baby boy into the family. Over the Christmas holidays they sat me down and said they had something they need to ask me. Exchanging glances back and forth at each other they finally said "we want to know if it is okay to name our son after Dad?" It was a good thing I was sitting down as I'm sure I would have fallen if I wasn't it.
Craig's father was a USAF pilot who died as a result of injuries in an accident in the Middle East. We grew up together in Springfield Virginia, qualify as the love story of the boy and girl next door and had a terrific life together traveling the world. When he passed away our world was shattered but we have picked up and gone on with the knowledge that he would always be keeping watch over us.
So with joy and gratitude today a new baby carries the name William Blase Jones. It may not have the cache as of a Kennedy or a Trump but it is a name passed on from a son who loved his father to a child who will be raised with love all around him. The cycle of life continues and reminds us of how our lives can change and carry on in ways that we never imagined.
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