Ben: I Feel Redeemed

Redeemed!

Have you ever received a rebate, credit, or coupon in the mail? It’s a good feeling to possess these items, but you can't really enjoy them and realize their true value until you redeem them. Once you redeem or cash them in you now have spending capabilities. In other words the power is in the redemption.  That is how I feel this week: valuable and powerful. Why? Because I have been redeemed by my family. Last week was tough; I made the mistake of asking my baby daughter if she thought some of her dating activity resembled "skank" like behavior. That went over like a lead balloon. The week before that, I had a frank  sit-down conversation with Britney, Brook, and Marcus, where they shared some heartbreaking events that they experienced as children while I was away on music tour. Whew, talk about a couple tough weeks! Things were going so bad that I felt like the light at the end of the tunnel might be a train. What next?!

But this week is new day. Jewel put together an awesome 25 Years-In-Music Gala celebration to honor me, and it was a complete family affair. Cyrene has totally forgiven me for the “skank” blunder and took me shopping to help give me a new look for the gala. Since I have lost 40 pounds, all my clothes are too big. Women are wired to make men better, so when one is mad at you, the wise thing to do is to distract them from that anger by giving them something about you to "fix." In my case, giving Cyrene the project of a “Daddy makeover" sped up the healing process from her being mad at me last week. She still doesn't even know what hit her. It made me feel great to spend quality time with her since she will be off to college in Washington, D.C. soon. How do I feel? Redeemed!

It makes me proud to see how he overcame the side effects of having a semi-absentee father and how he still honors me like I'm some sort of Super Dad.”

Ben Tankard

My parents are deceased and my younger sister lives out of the country, but my eldest sister, Patrice, came all the way from Florida to share in the celebration and told me how proud she was of me. How do I feel ? Redeemed.

I feel pure joy and gratitude as I witness all the hustle and bustle (some of it secretive) as the family prepares for the big event. What did I ever do to deserve such a great family?  Benji and I were able to break away from the preparation activities for a few minutes for some exercise and a long overdue chat about his childhood. It makes me proud to see how he overcame the side effects of having a semi-absentee father and how he still honors me like I'm some sort of Super Dad. How do I feel? Redeemed.

There is an old song that says, “Daddy may have, Momma may have --- But God bless the child that has his own." I get to witness that song in real life as Benji becomes a man right in front of my eyes and prepares to move his wife into their new home and move out of Tankard Palace. Brooklyn is drinking the same "Kool Aid" and is house hunting for her and Diamond. This is bittersweet for me and Jewel in that we feel proud of the progress of the Juveniles, but does this mean we will soon be empty nesters?  NOT!  Marcus and Tish are "thinking" about staying in Tennessee for a while...with us! How do I feel?  Redeemed.

Brooklyn Is Ready to Leave the Nest

Finally at the gala, I am overwhelmed by the amount of love and care my precious Jewel put into honoring her husband. She has a VIP list a mile long of celebrities, family, and friends that have come from near and far to honor me. The icing on the cake was the words of love that each of my children tearfully shared from the stage about me. I am happier than a witch in a broom factory.  How do feel?  Redeemed.

I am so thankful for my health, my family, and my musical gifts and realize that all good things come from above. My newest music release,  Full Tank 2.0, which you have heard bits and pieces of through out the show is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. 

How do I feel ?  REDEEMED!

Until next time,

Be Well,

Tank