I started this Chalkboard years ago to give the ShepKids something familiar at their Oldman's place. Just like the one that hung in their mom’s house. It wasn’t about quotes or weather forecasts back then. It was about grounding the ShepKids. Giving them a solid footing and a strong foundation when everything else around them was shifting.
When I was a kid, my mom moved me all over after she divorced my Oldman. There wasn’t much stability, and I didn’t want that for my kids. So, that is why I hung this board in my kitchen, and somewhere along the way it became more than a board. It turned into a ritual. A daily reminder that no matter what else is going on, this is still home.
Speaking of keeping things together, my middle guy, Frederick Joseph, turns sixteen today. God made Fritz the middle child because He knew he was strong enough to hold the seams. He looks after his baby sister. He has learned to comfort his older brother. He is the one who smooths out the bumps for everyone, then grabs a hotdog at Parky’s with his Oldman. That is why I nicknamed him “The Glue.”
Like the Chalkboard, Fritz has been the consistent piece that has kept our splintered family together. That is a hell of a responsibility for a kid who has only been here 5,844 days. Fritz carries the wit of his Grampa Don, the compassion of his Gramma Ceil, the brains of his PopPop, Grampa Ed, and the common sense of his JoJo, Gramma Mary Jo. He is a Chalkhead, through and through.
When he reads today’s quote, “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself”...
... I hope he takes it to heart. That is the big hurdle in life, kid. It took your Oldman a long time to figure his ass from a hole in the ground.
Find good friends. Keep faith somewhere in your routine and don’t you ever stop looking out for George and Hazel. That is what makes us Shepley. English and German through and through.
It is the last week of August and autumn temps are teasing us, but don’t you dare drag those sweaters out yet. If you see any pumpkin-flavored nonsense, run for the hills. We still have plenty of GoldBond days left before Halloweenie shows up.
Happy birthday, Fritz. Sixteen looks good on you, kid. Keep holding us together, make the world better and watch out for jagoffs that don't use their directional.
