1976.1.19
Enough of this retrospective garbage. This is now.
Yesterday was a three-star day. We heard Father speak at Belvedere for Sunday service. He spoke for three hours, but I cried through the first two. I felt so close to them, especially when I looked at Mother. She looked so serious, even though Father was often making us laugh. They know us so well. We are such infants in their eyes. If we knew some of the things they knew, it would probably be too much to bear. He spoke very simply about good and evil.
Later that day mom and dad came over to Jacob House. Bob and I had gone over to see them the night before at the Holiday Inn, but we did not stay long or talk too much. But when they came over today I was able to talk to them for the first time, maybe in my whole life. They liked the atmosphere of the house right away, and I told them we were the Unification Church founded by Sun Myung Moon. Of course they knew that already and had read and heard many negative things, but said they wouldn't judge until they had seen me. Their concern was only that I was being held against my will. Even Reverend McKim at their church in Dover told them not to worry, that even if the UC was bad I would only take what was valuable for me and leave the rest. In any case, I would be a stronger individual for it. Also, my letters had been a source of comfort to them.
As soon as we were alone, though, they just broke down and cried. They were so happy to see me. I looked so different. I was clean and well groomed and wearing nice clothes. They could see that I had become what they had always hoped and prayed for. We spoke much of my childhood and how they always believed that someday I would find God.
Brothers and sisters at Jacob House were really so great in giving them God's love, and they just knew that all the negative publicity was unfounded. They even said they now realized they could never have understood if they had not come to see me.
We went for a walk down to Belvedere, but dad complained about the cold. Bob showed up with the car and gave us a tour of the estate and then took us back to Jacob House. Then they left for home, but not before saying what a great and wonderful day it had been for them.
Now that HF has blessed my family with this unity, I must take it and work with this foundation.
Barry's parents also came and were positive, and the same with Jeff Hewson's. I even had a chance to share the experience I had with my parents at family meeting, and I ended by reading a letter dad had written me a couple days before but gave to me yesterday. While they were here at lunch time, mom even asked the blessing and many brothers and sisters told me how much they liked my parents, especially when my mother said grace.
Not until that moment did I fully realize what special parents I had been blessed with. They have set a good condition by coming here. Dad even said he was going to send to New York for a copy of Divine Principle.
Mark Goodman, a brother from Oakland whom I came to New York with, was kidnapped as he and his team leader and his uncle walked back from Howard Johnson's. They fought, but Benji-san was sprayed with mace and they got Mark. Someone saw it happen and called the police, and when they came to the motel room, Mark said, "Arrest them! I've been kidnapped!" So now Ted Patrick is behind bars.
Last night a very special sister, Linda Mackenzie, shared for several hours about her life before the family and her life in the family, much of which she spent serving True Parents at Belvedere. She related many tender, precious moments when the heart of True Parents was really expressed on the individual level. Of course, we would all like to be with True Parents, and they would like to be with us, but that is impossible. So HF chooses a person like Linda to be close to them and have many personal experiences that she can share with us. Then they become our experiences too.
The most beautiful thing she shared was when Father came up to one of the blessed children, a baby which Linda was holding, and he stroked the baby's cheek with the back of his hand and then he took the baby's clenched hand and uncurled the fingers one by one and kissed the palm of the baby's hand and then folded the fingers back. It was so beautiful, that scene in my mind. I felt a wave of warmth come over me of pure and simple joy. That is the true love of a father for his child. That is true parents.