Facebook | Mary Olson-Keller

"What a Veteran Means to Me!
By Jordan Keller


I see a person proud to take a stand
A person who ensured our
Free land.

They left behind there family & friends
to fight for what they believe,
some of them never returned
leaving love ones to greive.

They risked their lives for what we have
today.
They Fight for freedom & Peace that
we all share everyday.

During a long and brutal war,
mail was the only way
to communicate with friends and family
left to worry everday.

Some returned home
without friends,
they would not see ever again
Some returned home hurt, what
didnt kill them made them stronger.

I salute each & every one
for the service they have done.
So thank each veteran that you see,
they are the ones that made this,
Tthe Home of the Brave
&
The Land of the Free!"

Our Grandpa Bill

Our Grandpa Bill (Whiskey Bill)

So I wanted to share with everyone the Insight that I have received from my grandpas tapes, I have always love to hear him talk at AA meetings. But I have to say that today I have listened to three of them and i can never get enough of him.

So as i listen to him I can see his face, him standing there in his cowboy boots and overalls or a nice shirt with one of his wonderful Indian turquoise bow Tye, his comb in his front pocket and getting a drink of his coke with ice. I feel at piece with life when hes talking, I will say at my age today I have learned that my grandpa was smarter then i ever though he could be. I do see what hes talking about Your Religion or AA isn't a program its a way of living. As I heard many times in my life was that my Great Grandma (grandpas Mom) Said "Billy, I don't care what you believe in Just grab on to it and hold on tight." "Acceptance is love" he said Its learning to love the right way, my grandpa is amazing, the things hes been Thur and have done I'm so grateful that we had him in our life.

Our grandpa has lived on streets,in cars,in houses with Grandma and there 7 kids. he shared so much in each of these talks, the man who grandpa met in California, he brought my grandpa home, and I'm so glad for that, the way my grandpa explains it. He never wanted to hurt anyone and he thought he only was hurting himself. he said that he had a hard time with Believing in God. He said he tried and one night he lied down after not sleeping for weeks and Ask God to Help Him! He said that night he went to sleep and in one shakeable place he woke up knowing weather he was a live or died He was going to be OK.
He said " I see no evil in you I only see goodness and love in each and everyone of you."
Grandpa said "the truth will set me free and he knows that."
Grandpa said that step 3 of the 12 step book is take your own inventory and as he said he still always was taking inventory,

He said he was 14 of 17 kids and felt that he wasn't wanted, I can define it very simple to day and it an inability to love and be loved. I didn't know how to give and receive."
He said that he got to see his kids 2 months into being sober and he said the week before that he ran into a lady and said "Ma" I'm sober and I'm never going to drink again" he said Her response was "Ya right Bill"then she turned and walked away. That would be our Grandma She was so strong and courageous. He talks about how he took one of his sons to get some shoes and to a meeting and that night after they got home he went to make sure everyone was covered up. Then he saw something that he would never forget. he said "Ma Come look at Chuckie" as she went into the room with grandpa, and saw those shoes on Chuckies pillow. She said Pa those are the first new shoes hes ever got." he was 11 and all these years I thought I was only hurting myself. he talks about his daughter who had joined the program all she wanted was acceptance from her Dad.

He Shared about his Granddaughter, She was 8 or 9 months old and they were going to a meeting and someone said Bill she cant be her. Grandpa said well you see this jug(her bottle) "I've been trying to get her off this her whole life" and then he set her down, she couldn't walk but she stood there wobbling and said "You see her she cant stand still" " Hell She cant even talk right" From that day on she went to that meeting everyday. We would go to breakfast every morning, But that grand baby taught me more about Forgiveness then anyone ever could. She didn't care if I had bad breath or my hair was messy or if I was ugly. She just loved her old grandpa and he knew that. (That is his Rainy).

As for me the words that always helped me were "Its going to be Okay My Mary Girl" I would love to hear him say that once or twice in my last few years of hurt and pain I have been thur.

Also I never thought anything was ever wrong with my family I thought we had the best of everything in our family, We once were said that those Bill Rushton have money we were the rich ones and I will never forget our Grandpas words at that moment "YES WE ARE RICH, BUT WE AREN'T RICH WITH MONEY WE ARE RICH WITH THE LOVE WE HAVE AND SHARE" to so many of us in my family live with that and by that.

My crazy family, i wanted them back when i quit drinking, we had to part and get divorced because we couldn't get past the before and yesterdays. Because of the ability to live this program and the ability to forgive and forget Shes my Best Friend Today.

4 of my crazy kids are in the program and 1 in training. He said if he needs to go to AA he will and I know he wont but that would be OK.

"God is in your eyes your laughter and your smile."

"God I love you people."

I can say that After I listened to all three of those tapes tonight I have a new feeling of its going to be OK and that our grandpa was a wonderful as we thought.