This past August I had the opportunity to attend a Men of Faith Retreat produced by Tommy Spaulding, someone I referenced in my President’s Perspective from this time last year. It was unforgettable in many ways. The attendees, speakers, learning, reflection time, and fellowship were remarkable. It also seems that I can’t go to a conference anymore without a book or multiple books being part of the experience. The same was true this time. I came home with a handful of books written by the speakers, most of which were participants as well.
I will read all of them, but there was one I needed to read. It was a legacy story authored by Tim Brand titled Standing on the Shoulders. Tim and I had met before this retreat, as we have a few mutual friends. Coincidentally, he’s also from Iowa. Tim founded Many Hands for Haiti in 2008 and continues that work today.
Tim’s talk at the retreat was largely guided by his book. It is a story of the love, admiration and appreciation he has for the lessons he learned from his father, Denny Brand. Denny had cancer for several years, and as such, the story line of his journey to heaven provided ample opportunity for lessons to be recognized and revealed. My dad had cancer for 11 years before going to heaven. I had ample time to observe and reflect, too. Reading this book took me on that trip down memory lane. My emotions were high from start to finish; sometimes laughing, sometimes weeping, and always remembering. My experience resembled the one Tim writes about in many ways. We both stand on the shoulders of our fathers.
I use this phrase with some frequency at Story Construction, too. This month we close out our 90th year in business. Obviously, none of us were here when this company was founded. There are no family members in the business, and there haven’t been for several decades. All of us that are here today were invited and chose to join the company. As such, we are the beneficiaries of those who have come before us. We did not start it; we are standing on the shoulders of James Thompson and his successors.
I am grateful to have been invited and I realize that someone will stand on my shoulders someday. I feel the weight of this responsibility. I want a legacy story of love, admiration and appreciation for our work at Story as much as I do for my family.
Tim, thanks for sharing about Denny Brand. It is an awesome legacy story.
Mike Espeset
President