Thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far. I received some great emails, some of which I have included in comments on previous posts. Others I have stored and will use the stories in future chapters. The first chapter was intended to be somewhat introductory, highlighting what Dad might have considered his greatest success.
When I first envisioning the finished product, I didn't see a novel with text and a few pictures. I saw a work, probably a cross between a biography and a scrap book, where the text made up at most 50% of the finished book. With that in mind, I have set up some links under the title of "Pictures and Exhibits" in the side bar, organized by Chapter. Right now, this is only set up to view pictures, but I hope to also provide the ability to view scanned and transcribed documents, quotes, poetry, etc. fitting to the chapter and discussion of Dad's life.
Moving forward, next week I will post the first section of Chapter Two. This will begin to illustrate Dad's family history and a few stories and events I have collected. Based on all of his notes, Dad was particularly interested in his family history, so it is only fitting. Please keep the comments coming!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Family Man
Allan’s family truly encompassed his life. There are only a few periods in his life that wasn’t influenced or centered on his family, whether it was his parents, brothers and sisters, his kind extended family, in-laws, or his wife and children. He often spoke about his wife and kids with his coworkers and business associates leading several of them, when asked to comment on Allan’s life, to designate him as a “family man.” In a life statement which Allan wrote in college, he states seven lifetime goals, one of which was “to have a strong, interdependent, autonomous and spiritual family.” He envisioned his family would be built on the values of service, self-sufficiency and the doctrines of eternal life. It is only appropriate to recognize Dad’s love for his family and some of the principle he strived to live by in building and maintaining family relationships.
In some notes on a talk Allan gave in a church meeting on the topic of families, he gives three main points to becoming a better husband and father. “First,” he says “we need to understand and believe in ourselves.” Allan teaches us that we should understand that we are children of God and that we are not alone. It is abundantly clear that Dad understood this principle. He would frequently teach this to his children in family home evenings and share testimony of it in more public settings. Many, many of his journal entries have an eternal perspective and his discourses on prayer and the knowledge that God loves us were abundant.
“Secondly,” he continues, “we need to know how to relate to others.” He instructs that our relationships should be based on love, honesty, sincerity, and commitment. It seems this was one of Dad’s life ambitions, to be a master at relating with others. This is demonstrated in his aspirations to teach and to perfect his aptitude for telling stories. As his son, I can personally attest to his commitment to developing healthy relationships. As I grew, I became more and more attracted to athletics and the outdoors. Neither of these were favorites of my father. He would just as well have a comfortable lawn chair and a good book, or be engaged in a philosophical conversation on a porch swing. But he knew how important his relationship with his son should be and he also knew the greatest way to show love for his children was to spend time with them. Dad took a sincere interest in some of my activities. One I remember in particular was baseball. He never professed to have any kind of special knowledge about the sport but very rarely declined the invitation to play catch, or take batting practice. On one occasion, he even took me into the city to watch a Mets game as a belayed birthday present. His dedication to his relationships with his children became a great strength in his family.
“Third,” he teaches, “we need to prepare some needful things.” He references Doctrine and Covenants 88:119; “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” So many of his experiences were focused on his family and establishing these essential characteristics of a righteous home. David O. McKay, the president of the church for nearly all of Allan’s youth, and not coincidentally one of his favorite prophets and speakers, said in a general conference address; ”The bringing of children into the world bears with it great responsibilities and opens to view the noblest purpose of life, namely, a co-partnership with deity ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” As his actions confirm, Allan truly was a “family man.”
In some notes on a talk Allan gave in a church meeting on the topic of families, he gives three main points to becoming a better husband and father. “First,” he says “we need to understand and believe in ourselves.” Allan teaches us that we should understand that we are children of God and that we are not alone. It is abundantly clear that Dad understood this principle. He would frequently teach this to his children in family home evenings and share testimony of it in more public settings. Many, many of his journal entries have an eternal perspective and his discourses on prayer and the knowledge that God loves us were abundant.
“Secondly,” he continues, “we need to know how to relate to others.” He instructs that our relationships should be based on love, honesty, sincerity, and commitment. It seems this was one of Dad’s life ambitions, to be a master at relating with others. This is demonstrated in his aspirations to teach and to perfect his aptitude for telling stories. As his son, I can personally attest to his commitment to developing healthy relationships. As I grew, I became more and more attracted to athletics and the outdoors. Neither of these were favorites of my father. He would just as well have a comfortable lawn chair and a good book, or be engaged in a philosophical conversation on a porch swing. But he knew how important his relationship with his son should be and he also knew the greatest way to show love for his children was to spend time with them. Dad took a sincere interest in some of my activities. One I remember in particular was baseball. He never professed to have any kind of special knowledge about the sport but very rarely declined the invitation to play catch, or take batting practice. On one occasion, he even took me into the city to watch a Mets game as a belayed birthday present. His dedication to his relationships with his children became a great strength in his family.
“Third,” he teaches, “we need to prepare some needful things.” He references Doctrine and Covenants 88:119; “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” So many of his experiences were focused on his family and establishing these essential characteristics of a righteous home. David O. McKay, the president of the church for nearly all of Allan’s youth, and not coincidentally one of his favorite prophets and speakers, said in a general conference address; ”The bringing of children into the world bears with it great responsibilities and opens to view the noblest purpose of life, namely, a co-partnership with deity ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” As his actions confirm, Allan truly was a “family man.”
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Father of Six
The evening of June 17, 1992 was muggy and wet. Janice has spent the day cleaning the house and once again getting the baby clothes out of storage. There were final preparations to be made for a new member of the Kjelstrom family. Eighteen months prior, Allan had secured a good job working for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a healthcare company based in Syracuse, New York. Janice’s sister Catherine and her family were well established in Ilion, a little town 65 miles east of Syracuse. Allan and Janice had decided to settle nearby in Herkimer. It was nice to be close to extended family, and at this time, it was nice to have a secure job.
The week before this rainy night, Catherine had been over to help paint the master bedroom. Although Janice had been sick during this pregnancy, she still found time to finish projects. Just earlier in the evening, she had insisted that Allan install the handles on a dresser she had recently refinished. With Allan at age 43 and Janice at 38, they knew this was going to be their last child and were intent on making it a special experience. The due date was still 16 days away and even with a bout of giardia that Janice had contracted from some unclean water in Richfield Springs, things were moving along nicely.
Later in the evening, just before the kids were to be put to bed, Janice decided to take a bath to sooth her aching back. She had had contractions all day, but being her sixth child, didn’t worry because they were relatively far apart. But when her water broke, it was time to go. Catherine was called over to tend for the kids while Allan and Janice got in the car and began the 28 mile journey to the Cooperstown Hospital. It had now begun to pour and driving south on State Highway 28 had become precarious. The trepidation must have been thick for Allan. On a good day it took 45 minutes to get to the hospital and nearly all of Janice’s other births were very quick. But he had a knack for keeping his cool.
To their relief, they arrived at the hospital at around 11:30 in the evening. Not to anyone’s surprise, the maternity ward was full. There were no rooms available to give birth. The nurse’s aide asked that Janice have a seat in a wheelchair for half an hour. This wasn’t a unique experience to either of the anxious parents. The birth stories of almost all of the other children were similar. Surely Allan must have thought this was just how it happens.
They did finally find a bed for Janice in the nearby medical/surgery ward. Not more than an hour passed before the child was ready to be born. When they wheeled Janice to the maternity ward for the final stages of labor, to their angst a maintenance worker was still cleaning up from the previous delivery. The request to again wait from the nurse went unheeded and as the story is told, Janice jumped from the wheelchair and Spencer was born with load roar. But there he was, his third son, Spencer Axel, named after Allan’s father, the balanced compliment to his three daughters.
Catherine and her daughter had fallen asleep on the waterbed when Allan finally arrived home very early in the morning. After thanking her and sending them home, a smile surely must have come. It had been a long day, but a boy, another son, a father of six.
The week before this rainy night, Catherine had been over to help paint the master bedroom. Although Janice had been sick during this pregnancy, she still found time to finish projects. Just earlier in the evening, she had insisted that Allan install the handles on a dresser she had recently refinished. With Allan at age 43 and Janice at 38, they knew this was going to be their last child and were intent on making it a special experience. The due date was still 16 days away and even with a bout of giardia that Janice had contracted from some unclean water in Richfield Springs, things were moving along nicely.
Later in the evening, just before the kids were to be put to bed, Janice decided to take a bath to sooth her aching back. She had had contractions all day, but being her sixth child, didn’t worry because they were relatively far apart. But when her water broke, it was time to go. Catherine was called over to tend for the kids while Allan and Janice got in the car and began the 28 mile journey to the Cooperstown Hospital. It had now begun to pour and driving south on State Highway 28 had become precarious. The trepidation must have been thick for Allan. On a good day it took 45 minutes to get to the hospital and nearly all of Janice’s other births were very quick. But he had a knack for keeping his cool.
To their relief, they arrived at the hospital at around 11:30 in the evening. Not to anyone’s surprise, the maternity ward was full. There were no rooms available to give birth. The nurse’s aide asked that Janice have a seat in a wheelchair for half an hour. This wasn’t a unique experience to either of the anxious parents. The birth stories of almost all of the other children were similar. Surely Allan must have thought this was just how it happens.
They did finally find a bed for Janice in the nearby medical/surgery ward. Not more than an hour passed before the child was ready to be born. When they wheeled Janice to the maternity ward for the final stages of labor, to their angst a maintenance worker was still cleaning up from the previous delivery. The request to again wait from the nurse went unheeded and as the story is told, Janice jumped from the wheelchair and Spencer was born with load roar. But there he was, his third son, Spencer Axel, named after Allan’s father, the balanced compliment to his three daughters.Catherine and her daughter had fallen asleep on the waterbed when Allan finally arrived home very early in the morning. After thanking her and sending them home, a smile surely must have come. It had been a long day, but a boy, another son, a father of six.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Preface
I must first apologize to anyone whose eyes may reach the pages of this blog who actually know a thing or two about writing. You see, by profession I am a technical writer, even though I despised English classes in school, I now write 100 to 500 page documents about real estate. Allan is my father, and although I am his oldest child, I seem to have the least in common with him when compared to my siblings. Of course that didn’t mean that he loved me any less than his other children, or that I loved him any less than any loves his father. But it does mean I did not inherit his creativity and deeply philosophical mind. I will try to throw away my technical writing habits and think and write as my father would have, but I know those that love creative writing like Dad did will see right through it. I will include as much of my father’s thoughts and words as possible, but if you find the writing a bit drab, or if words and thoughts seem forced, at least you know why.
I have found it hard to decide whether or not to use the present tense when describing characteristics and traits of Dad. Although Allan has left this earth, I know along with those who were closest to him, that we will again experience one of his loving hugs. He will be the same Allan, kind, gentle and with an infectious sense of humor. But this is intended to be a work to commemorate his earthly life, to give an example of faith for his posterity to see and to honor a life that was full of steadfastness and true prosperity. So, past tense seems to be the most appropriate. Allan was defined in all aspects of his life in his faith in Christ. As his course in this life will attest, he recognized his gift of faith.
I should make a note about the title of this work, As a Man Thinketh. This was derived from one of Dad’s favorite scriptures in the Book of Proverbs, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It also appropriately describes one of his most dominant character traits, that of a thinker. This truly defined who he became as a husband, father and friend. You will just have to trust me when I tell you that the title was conjured before I became aware of a relatively famous American work with the same title, written by James Allen in 1905. A novel written about the very same scripture in Proverbs, it is very similar to some of the theories of Dad’s life, and to be honest, I would be surprised if he hadn’t read it. So I will incorporate some quotes from the novel intermittently in the posts for your enjoyment. I’m sure Dad would appreciate that.
This blog is designed to give everyone who knew Allan a forum to contribute to the finished product of his biography. I have collected a good amount of information about Dad in his early years and beyond, but in no way claim to be an expert yet other than in my own experiences as his son. Please leave comments and give suggestions/corrections. Like all of us, his life was molded and influenced by many, many people, and it would only be fitting if his biography was constructed in the same fashion. Share this with anyone and everyone who you think would like to contribute to or benefit from the events and lessons than made up Allan Garth Kjelstrom.
I have found it hard to decide whether or not to use the present tense when describing characteristics and traits of Dad. Although Allan has left this earth, I know along with those who were closest to him, that we will again experience one of his loving hugs. He will be the same Allan, kind, gentle and with an infectious sense of humor. But this is intended to be a work to commemorate his earthly life, to give an example of faith for his posterity to see and to honor a life that was full of steadfastness and true prosperity. So, past tense seems to be the most appropriate. Allan was defined in all aspects of his life in his faith in Christ. As his course in this life will attest, he recognized his gift of faith.
I should make a note about the title of this work, As a Man Thinketh. This was derived from one of Dad’s favorite scriptures in the Book of Proverbs, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It also appropriately describes one of his most dominant character traits, that of a thinker. This truly defined who he became as a husband, father and friend. You will just have to trust me when I tell you that the title was conjured before I became aware of a relatively famous American work with the same title, written by James Allen in 1905. A novel written about the very same scripture in Proverbs, it is very similar to some of the theories of Dad’s life, and to be honest, I would be surprised if he hadn’t read it. So I will incorporate some quotes from the novel intermittently in the posts for your enjoyment. I’m sure Dad would appreciate that.
This blog is designed to give everyone who knew Allan a forum to contribute to the finished product of his biography. I have collected a good amount of information about Dad in his early years and beyond, but in no way claim to be an expert yet other than in my own experiences as his son. Please leave comments and give suggestions/corrections. Like all of us, his life was molded and influenced by many, many people, and it would only be fitting if his biography was constructed in the same fashion. Share this with anyone and everyone who you think would like to contribute to or benefit from the events and lessons than made up Allan Garth Kjelstrom.
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