The following speeches were read at AtHome America's national convention on July 27, 2007 during a very special Hope 4 Mike luncheon. Twenty-eight-year old twins Brandon and Bryan, and 11-year old Blaine each spoke about their dad, Mike Wright. They shared the positive impact he has had on their lives. Their heartfelt words touched all those in attendance and we invite you to be touched by their words as well.
By Brandon Wright
I first would like to thank all of the HomeStyle Specialists and the AtHome America Home Team for the many prayers and overall support you have given my dad and our entire family. From the ALS Walk, and the Tri-State Trek, to the ALS Tag Days, to the selling of the Hope 4 Mike candles, to the many other ways you have all raised money to help try to find a cure for ALS, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. A special thank you goes to Linda “DC” Curry for her passion, unselfishness, organization, and never-ending quest to help us try and find a cure for this disease.
There is no amount of time that would ever be enough for me to describe how much my dad means to me. I often hear the phrase from family and friends of, “You're just like your dad!” We have the same mannerisms, the same passion for sports, the same sense of humor, and we're both losing our hair (although he's got me beat right now)!
I have been married for just over three years now to my beautiful wife, Karrie, and my dad has been the perfect example of what it means to be a great husband and father. He has always been so supportive of my mom and Aunt Lisa since they started this company in 1983, and I can recall the days when my dad would put in long hours of overtime and walk to work to save gas while my mom stayed home with Bryan and me. The things he has done for me and my brothers Bryan and Blaine are too many, that I don't know where to begin. If God decides to bless Karrie and me with kids, I know that I have the best of the best to use as a model for a father.
My dad has always been there for me. My senior year of high school football comes to mind when my dad specifically switched working nights to days just so he could make my football games on Friday nights. Him being there always made me want to make a big hit or interception as a safety on defense, and although my team stunk that year (we were 0-9), it meant a ton having him there to cheer me on.
More recently, I think of my junior year of college baseball. I missed most of my sophomore season due to mono and he was there for the first game against Lewis University in about 30-degree weather. There were hills of snow along the dugouts from the snow storm that had hit us the week before and he saw my first college home run and I wasn't a power hitter. I remember him saying, “Get out of here!” as soon as I hit it followed by a “Yeah, baby!” and I think he was more excited than I was.
Another thing I love about my dad is that he's a rocker. Although some of my music is a little too heavy for him these days, I can think of the great times at concerts I've had with him seeing bands like KISS, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and The Rolling Stones together. I still think of being with him to see Ted Nugent at the House of Blues last year. We were five people deep from the stage, with our ears still buzzing afterwards.
My dad is incredibly unselfish, always looking to make others a priority before thinking of himself. He and my mom have always been gracious, and generous to have Bryan and my friends over for 4th of July parties, poker games, Bears games, etc. Not long ago, my dad played softball with Bryan and I and all of our buddies from high school and college. Of course, he was the oldest one on the team and was our best hitter and one of the best pitchers in the league. I can remember him striking out five guys in a game, which is saying something for 16-inch softball. I know all of our friends consider him “one of the guys.”
It has been over four years since my dad was diagnosed with ALS, and I know many of you are wondering how he is doing. I am happy to report that he is doing well! I admire my dad for his strength, courage, determination, and most of all, trust in God. Some days are obviously better than others but I know that my dad and our whole family take comfort in the fact that God is fighting this disease with him. It's no secret that the Wright family has gone through our share of adversity. Between my dad getting diagnosed with ALS, my wife Karrie undergoing a two month program at a Christian treatment center in Arizona for anorexia (which happened during our first year of marriage), and my mom having to deal with having permanent nerve damage and not being able to walk on her own power, the last 5 years have been a whirlwind, to say the least. My favorite Bible passage is Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Although it's been difficult to understand, our family has continued to trust God in the midst of these trials and we are seeing the rewards. Karrie has been in recovery for over two years without any relapses and is doing great. My mom has made significant strides since the first of her many surgeries she has had in the last two years and continues to show progress, and my dad is truly a living miracle considering Lou Gehrig's disease is fatal and usually takes the lives of those diagnosed within three to five years.
I believe one of the big reasons why my dad is doing so well is your prayers. The power of prayer cannot be underestimated, and I can't stress enough how much your prayers mean to us. I love that my dad lives each day to its fullest. Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us, and I would encourage all of you to do the same because life is too short and too precious to waste away. You know, some of my favorite athletes growing up were Mark Grace, David Robinson, and Emmitt Smith. They all did great things on the playing field or basketball court. As far as my “heroes” go, well, that title belongs to my mom and dad. I love you both so much and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
By Bryan Wright
My dad has been known in the Wright and Brandau families as the “car hawk” for his ability to scope out the area for cars we're interested in, while being able to find good deals on them. When I graduated high school, I worked full-time for a couple years before going to college. During that time, my dad helped me find a great deal on a beautiful candy-apple red, Chevy Camaro. I was so excited that he helped me find this car because not only was it in great condition and made me the envy of all my friends, but it made my brother very jealous, considering he was still driving our grandfather's 1986 Mazda pickup truck with no air conditioning. The whole process of finding this car was a great bonding experience for Dad and I, and I have always trusted and depended on his car expertise, from buying new cars to having him help me get out of trouble when my car wasn't so dependable.
They sometimes say that in life, it's the little things that count. My dad has done plenty of big things for my brothers and me, but a couple little things stand out to me. Before the addition of Blaine, my mom usually cooked all of our meals and is still an incredible cook, although my Aunt Lisa would probably argue that her cooking is the best out of either of our families. My dad decided to take on the role of playing “Mr. Mom” when Blaine was born, which is no easy task. With mom working long hours at the office, my dad would always and still continues to have hot meals prepared for us every night, and his meatloaf is absolutely killer! Another trait that shows off my dad's unselfishness is that he has done my laundry for the past 27 years without ever complaining. He is very meticulous and I personally have never seen whiter whites! He does so many things for me without ever asking for a pat on the back, and I am so appreciative of the ways that he makes life a little bit easier on me.
You know, life hasn't always been easy for me. Growing up, I had to deal with having a learning disability. While other kids were having a smooth time getting their work done, I always had to try that much harder to stay on pace. I pride myself for my perseverance and that is one trait I have always seen in my dad, most recently since being diagnosed with ALS. He and I are both fighters and I had to fight my way through adversity to get to where I am today. Graduating college at Trinity Christian was a huge accomplishment for me. When I walked across the stage on graduation day and saw my dad in the crowd with a huge smile on his face, it gave me so much joy and confidence knowing that he was giving me his seal of approval. Thanks Dad for all that you do for me and I love you so much!
By Blaine Wright
I am so thankful for all of the things my dad does for me. He makes me breakfast every morning before school and lets me have my friends over to play all the time. I love basketball and the Chicago Bulls, and he always makes the time to drive me out to all my games and has our fridge stocked with plenty of Gatorade. I have the best dad in the whole world. Thanks Dad and I love you!
