Given by Jacob Aust, Son-In-Law

Father Dan spoke of a blessed few who question early on in life the mysteries and the meaning of life. I am confident that Joe was one of these few and I am also confident that this prayer was one answer that he came to.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference. 

This simple prayer encapsulates so much of drive and conviction of the man that I met as the father of my love and grew to love as my father-in-law, Joe Monahan. 

I was lucky enough to have earned the stamp of approval from Joe in the summer of 1998 when I was so clearly hoping that his daughter would see me as more than her friend.

Joe and I sat at their kitchen table. He got me talking about my work and recent accomplishments and all I remember is that my nerves were so quickly put at ease.

Here I was, talking to the father of the woman I felt so strongly about, and he was the one who was making me feel more confident, more myself.

I later learned that I met Joe - not long after some challenging things had happened in his life and career – challenges he overcame with grace.

I never, in the time that I knew him, heard him complain about his life, or the cards he was dealt.  So long as he had his friends and his family around him, Joe was happy.

He truly had the serenity to accept the things he could not change. 

Friends and family were in fact Joe’s mission. I know that each of us that were lucky enough to have had a quiet talk with Joe, have been touched by the mysterious calm he could bring to you.  No matter what terrible thing you were going through or what you were afraid of. he could throw an arm around you and say “let’s go for a walk” – and not even halfway down the block you felt better. 

I believe that this ability of Joe’s – to help people who were struggling or just simply down - was what he knew as the gift he had to give us all. He was the guy that, even when you weren’t down or trying to figure out how to deal with some hardship, he would get you talking about the good stuff – about your gifts – your strengths and achievements. He would tell a good story and make you laugh. After a talk like this with Joe, he would have you ready to take on the world again with renewed confidence.  

Thank you, Joe, for having the courage to recognize and change these things that you knew you could.

Thank you, Joe, for your love and devotion to us, your family and friends,
for your special loving attention to your grandchildren, whom you always made feel that they were the most special people in the world. 

Thank you Joe, for your daughter,
for your smile,
for your wisdom,
for your playfulness,
for your simple, quiet, loving grace.