Beth Anne’s Book (HIT ME!)

“If you do what is easy—Life will be hard; if you do what is hard—Life will be easy.” – Anonymous

My father was, in his own way, chasing Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. One of his favorite sayings was a paraphrase of Benjamin Franklin. “There are only two guarantees in life: death and taxes.” It captured his personality—part humor, part hard truth, and a reminder of life’s fleeting certainties.

They say there’s a fine line between genius and madness, and I often wondered which side my father was walking. His larger-than-life presence drew people in, but it was his raw vulnerability—and his hunger for experience—that stopped them cold. He lived wide-open. He trusted people too easily, too deeply, and often paid the price for it. He’d dance on the street, chat with strangers, kneel to pet their dogs, slip money to someone sleeping on the street, or strike up a conversation with a man most would cross the road to avoid.