Bob Ross+Tony Dungy+Tommy Ross's Love of a Toy=Simple Can Be Beautiful

Bob Ross, the famous painter known for being on PBS, sadly lost his life in the mid 1990's. Yet his legacy lives on, and I wish that I could say I was related to him. He was certainly a classy individual, who got me to watch a lot of his episodes, even though "painting ain't my thing." How could you not enjoy watching a man, with hair that I'm jealous of, peacefully painting away majestic outdoor scenes, with his "fake made up colors," along with "happy trees" and "happy clouds." Bob Ross had a aura of bliss surrounding him, and while he is with God, his legacy continues on. Coach Tony Dungy. What on earth does a former NFL coach have in common with Bob Ross, that prowled the sidelines of the gridiron?

A lot actually-faith, wisdom, and a statement that Coach Dungy made in his recent book, that brings us to my son Tommy, who passed away from a seizure related to Angelman Syndrome. Tony Dungy stated "What matters in life is the legacy of which we leave to others." Some may say that is a simple statement, as was my son's playing with a toy that was far from fancy. Its a bobblehead Tiger sunscreen dispenser, and I still have it, and often think of him playing with it. He used to laugh and play with this toy for hours, and I often think Tommy had the right idea on life, much like Tony Dungy and Bob Ross. Keep it simple. Find something you love and stick with it.

You don't have to do anything special in life, other than "being of significance to someone else." It could be as simple as giving someone a hug in need, a shoulder to cry on, or just surprising someone with a smile. All of us, just like Mitch Albom has so "simply" written, are interconnected. Sure, we are individuals, but all of us are a family, no matter what our ethnicities or religious backgrounds are, etc. A biologist told me that we are at a minimum, 1/32nds related to each other. That's right, we are all brothers and sisters. Our joys and pains are shared by our family here on Earth, and we can experience something together, and walk in step for a change that is necessary.

That's where the seizure angle comes into play. Seizures do not discriminate. They don't care if you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Member of the "Save the Passenger Pigeon" Party. That's why, as a family we have to work together, to find this cure together, and by supporting Vanderbilt University's program to end this menace once and for all. Is that simple? Yes! Its one single goal, not some extrapolated cause that's got a whole bunch of branches on an "unhappy tree." If we raise funds for Vanderbilt, by creative means and foot leather, then the folks who aren't so simple, (ie. the researchers who's IQ's are fifteen times higher than mine) can finally discover this cure. Another child won't go home to God too early, because everyone should live a life of value, that allows them to end up eating tapioca pudding while wearing chest high plaid pants.

The image of Tommy playing with his sunscreen bottle, is what I'd consider to be Bob Ross's "Happy Clouds and Trees." His legacy is he has touched a worldwide community, of which we are all part of. Finally, out of the sadness of his passing, has come a movement to stop seizures forever. Do you not think God has a part in this? Of course God is behind this movement, and I have not one doubt that the efforts to find a cure, are of His choosing. Yet by keeping our purpose simple by fighting these seizures, life on Earth can be more of what Coach Dungy, Bob Ross, and Tommy Ross have in common, and what we share. That's a legacy, and let's keep the train rolling down the tracks for a cure for seizures!