90

August 15, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

Tom_Olsen_Cook.jpgDad would have been 90 yesterday if he’d lived.

I still miss him so much and wish he could be around to experience the little things of life. I’d love to invite him over to see our new house. I know he’d be so thrilled to see how well Emily and James are doing as they grow into the amazing young people that they are.

This time of year is not only a time of remembering the anniversary of dad’s birth but also of his death.

In August of 2002, dad was seriously ill in hospital. Although he was a Christian in his teens, he had not followed Christ after his service as a cook in the second world war.

As he put it he “made his peace with Jesus” while in hospital. In the week following his decision he talked about going home to Jesus his Saviour and of seeing his wife again. (Mum passed away in 1987.) Our family had never heard dad talk that way before. There had been a huge change in him.

On Saturday at the end of that week he was in a pretty bad way. We went to the hospital to visit and he wasn’t really there. Most of the time he was in a very deep sleep. James was just three and a half at the time and I held him in my arms beside the bed. James then started to sing Amazing Grace. It was a song that I would sing to James as I put him to bed each night. I joined James quietly to help him with the words. Dad opened his eyes and acknowledged us there. We stayed a little longer and then headed home. Dad passed away that night just a few days before his 83rd birthday.

We were the last visitors to see dad and I imagine the last thing he would have seen and heard while on this earth was a very small boy, his grandson, singing about the Amazing Grace that he now knows so well.

(Dad was a chef and continued cooking well after his retirement. The photo in this post was him working in the kitchen of the retirement home where he lived in his final years.)



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46

July 22, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

Time moves on. Hair gets thinner. Skin gathers an assortment of wrinkles. Eyes don’t see as clearly as they once did.

It’s not all downhill. Wisdom grows. Life experience becomes richer. I’ve got so much to clebrate.

I’m the husband of the world’s most wonderful woman, the father of two thoroughly amazing children and a son of the God who put this incredible world together.



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A Boomer Birthday Competition

February 24, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

ESV.jpgOne of the blogs that you’ll find in my Blogroll, and which I regularly read, Boomer in the Pew, has just celebrated its first birthday.

The blog’s writer, David, believes that every birthday party should have presents but in this instance, he’s the one doing the giving.

One Boomer in the Pew reader is going to win a premium calfskin leather version of the new ESV Study Bible.

The Bible retails for $239.99, and is available free courtesy of his friends at Crossway.

David has all the details on how you can enter his birthday competition at his post, Win a Calfskin Version of the ESV Study Bible!

I’d really prefer to win the Bible myself but if I can’t win I’m hoping that one the readers of RodneyOlsen.net will win.

By the way, even if you don’t want to try to win the Bible, make sure you check out David’s blog and spend a bit of time following his journey.



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I've lost my touch

October 10, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

We had a wonderful time last night celebrating Pauline’s birthday.

We headed out to a smorgasbord restaurant and I found that I’ve lost my touch. It’s probably not a bad thing. In fact it’s quite a good thing.

Even though it was one of those all you can eat places, I’m finding that I just can’t eat all that I used to. I remember when smorgasbords meant piling up the plate and seeing how many times you could go back for more. I was quite the expert at ‘getting my money’s worth’.

I’ll admit that I had a larger dinner than I would on most nights but I was more than happy starting with a plate of cold food, then onto one hot and finishing off with sweets. None of the plates were piled up and I was happy to stop when I felt full.

I must say that it was so enjoyable to fill up on good food and still be able to leave the restaurant without feeling like I’d overdone it. I can still remember leaving restaurants after eating way too much and feeling decidedly seedy.

Maybe I’m getting old or just getting wiser.



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Having your cake and eating it

May 25, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
14 Comments

gift.jpgDo you ever take the day off just because it’s your birthday?

Have you rung work and told them you’re sick so that you could have your birthday off?

It seems that more and more businesses are giving employees the day off, with companies like American Express advertising for staff with the promise that “as a special thank you, you will never have to work on your birthday again!”

News.com.au published the article Birthday leave the latest office perk claiming that the practice is becoming more widespread.

Of course there’ll always be someone willing to pour cold water over someone else’s good idea.

Organisational psychologist Christopher Shen welcomed the initiative but warned that it might be open to abuse.

“It’s a wonderful initiative but the complexities need to be considered and some boundaries set,” he said.

“People could start trying to replace their own birthday with a another special day such as a wedding. I think that’s problematic because it makes it difficult for managers to assess the merits of these claims and it opens up the prospect of discriminatory behaviour.”

Mr Shen also warned about the threat to staff morale if birthday cakes disappeared from the workplace.

“These events are seemingly unimportant but can actually be critical to building a good atmosphere at work,” he said.

I was a little gobsmakced with the idea that birthday cakes would disappear from the work place just because the person wasn’t there on that particular day. What happens for those who have a birthday on the weekend? If your workplace is anything like ours, we just have the cake before or after the day. Thankfully there are some people who can think things through.

Courtney Tippett, marketing project manager with telco Fone Zone, which offers birthday leave to all its employees, said her company had a different solution to the cake problem.

“We have it the day before,” she said.

So, would you take your birthday off if you were offered the opportunity? I love my job so I don’t mind being at work on the day. Besides, I’d probably end up be the only one at home. That’s no way to celebrate.

Do you think birthday leave is a good thing?



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