It seems that most people have very little to say about their parents until it's too late. I'm no exception to that rule. I never had much of a relationship with my dad as I grew up.

I grew up with my family in a small town in Illinois. My oldest brother was much older than me and I don't have a lot of memories of him when I was a child. My younger brother was three years younger and we did spend a lot of time together. I loved my mom, and still do, but this story isn't about my mom, or my brothers. It is about the one person that had the biggest impact on my life!

My dad’s name was Gale Agans and he was a great man. He was low key and didn't say a lot to me, as long as I was doing as I was told! When I stepped out of line, he sure was swift at correcting me, and believe you me, I never did THAT again!

Growing up:

As I grew up, my father didn’t seem to pay much attention to me, at least from what I can remember. I loved to play football in high school and I think my dad only went to one of my games. We had a good football team and I had hoped he took more of an interest in what I was doing.

It was a couple of years after I got out of school that I got into Golden Gloves Boxing. I know I know, pretty stupid huh? It was a good learning experience for me. I learned that it was a “STUPID” thing to do! I did do ok as a boxer, but you will never find me on the greatest boxer of all times list because I only fought one fight!

This fight was in Fort Madison, Iowa and both of my parents went with me. We had quite a drive and I had never fought in an actual match before. It turned out that it was scheduled as the last fight of the night and I was our team’s only hope and I was the only heavyweight! I think I weighed in at 225, give or take a few pounds. Our boxing team had lost every bout up until my fight and they were all counting on me!

I met my opponent who towered above me by about 3”. He was 6’2”, I’m only 5’11, and he weighed about 275 and had biceps the size of my thighs! Golden Gloves in our division is only a 3 round fight, but with my lack of experience and conditioning it felt like 20!

I was knocked down in the second round and given a “standing 8 count.” It was at that moment that my dad, came out of the bleachers and walked over to the ring. This was the first time in my life that it appeared to me that my dad actually cared about me or anything that I've done. He stood right beside the ring and as I was thinking about lying down on the mat and throwing in the towel I could hear my dad’s words. He said “Jeff, you can do it!” Well that was enough for me! I think somewhere in the back of my head I could hear that song from Rocky. You remember the one, “Gonna Fly Now, “right? I regained my composure and the referee checked me out. He cleared me to begin fighting again. All I could about was keeping my left jab in this guys face. I did exactly that and it was my dad’s words that inspired me to win that fight!

There were many other times in my life that I had to suffer through mistakes that I made. My dad had always warned me when I was about to make a mistake, but it seems that I was too stubborn and bull headed to listen. He knew better but I guess he was letting me learn my own lessons.

As I got older, I was married once before I found and married the true love of my life, Meghan. I was blessed with beautiful children from both marriages. As my oldest children from my first marriage began to get older, I suddenly remembered some of my dad's "words of wisdom." There are too many of them to list at this moment so I won't bore you with the details. My point is this; it isn't until much later in life that we realize what our parents had tried to teach us. My dad was a great mentor, father and as it turned out much later in his life, a true friend!

I learned in the last few years of my dad’s life, that he was very proud of me. He actually told me that when he as sick and dying in the hospital. I was so lucky to be there with him the last day of his life. My dad was very sick and it was his time to go. We all knew that, but it didn't make it any easier.

Since then he's appeared in several of my dreams. One time he was running and he appeared to be a much younger man. I'm sure he is much happier where he is now. I'm very happy to have known him and thankful that he was my dad!

If you want to see a drawing that I did of my dad, visit this site http://www.soulreflectionsbyjeff.com/