"Not all heroes wear masks" (part 2)

Today, as I previously stated, I want to share the words that my brother and I said at my dad’s service.  In the order of the service, I spoke first, so I’ll stick with that arrangement now.  Here is what I said:

“Hello everyone.  I’m the first-born son, Kevin.  I had the honor of calling Jerry my father.  You know, there’s only one Jerry Bauer.  There’s no way any of us can duplicate who he was.  Both my brother and I have a love for superheroes that he didn’t particularly share.  But that’s one of our quirks, we both love superheroes.

I’m a writer.  Not a professional writer, but I do love to write.  I found something that I wrote a couple of years ago.  I said, ‘You don’t have to have superhuman speed or strength like Superman to be a superhero.  One can be a normal, everyday person and be a superhero, if they live out their life in a self-sacrificial way.  If they live a life of selfless service to others.’  I looked at that and I thought, “That’s my father.”  I’ll read it again.  ‘One can be a normal, everyday person and be a superhero, if they live out their life in a self-sacrificial way.  If they live a life of selfless service to others.’

 

My father was a superhero.  And coming from me, that is a very high compliment.  I want to be as selfless, altruistic, and unselfish as my father, Jerry, was.  God bless you all.”  When you stop and think about it, this is quite the challenge!  To live out life in “a self-sacrificial way; a life of selfless service to others.”  It's a daunting, lofty, and sobering challenge.

My brother, Mark Bauer, was next to the stage that bittersweet day.  He said, “I’m Mark.  I’m the second-born.  I had a lot I wanted to say today.  I could probably talk all day about him.  But I think this service is showing who he was.  Everybody who knew him knows how much he loved.

I want to thank him for making me the person I am.  He didn’t teach me through words, by preaching at me, he taught me through example.  I love you, Dad.  I’m going to miss you.”

Next time, I have a few important concluding thoughts that I plan to present to you, and then we'll finish off this current series of blogs.

To be continued!