Page 64 - Panama City Living July-August 2019

THE MERRITTS
Apart from your faith, what other guidelines do you live by?
Frank: Mr. Pipeline, Gerry Lopez,
once said there are three types of
surfers. The first one surfs his whole
life, any chance he gets, and can’t
keep a job or a relationship. The
second type gets married and
maintains a steady job and never
surfs again. The third is building
a house by the ocean and gets a
chance to balance all of it, and still
gets to surf a few minutes a day.
We are exactly where we want to
be. You may have to compromise this or that part, but once we figured out we wanted to fulfill this promise to Jason and we want to pursue this life, it meant going part-time in my work in the ER; that meant half of my salary going, so there
are going to be costs. But I think in the end, you'll figure out the lifestyle you want. Our lifestyle is different than others. There are people whose dream it is to live in New York City in a high rise, but that’s not us.
moments of our lives just happened. We had a perfect day as a family, and when the evening came, Frank had work to do in the office but made the choice to continue talking to the boys. On
So many people talk about freedom and happiness. But there is rarely someone who is truly happy. How do you measure happiness?
Regina: We probably find the most joy when we are both in tune with God. Both of our families while growing up found strength in their faith and love of the Lord. I think one of the happiest
know that it is even more important to spend time with my boys. They will soon get into a phase where they want to spend more time with their friends, so we want to play a very active role in their lives while we can. Believe us, we have our problems, too. But we are trying to work through them. You just get a better shot at happiness when you can work through problems together. We do not compare ourselves to others. Staying away from social media is good advice for everyone.
"... I need my patients as much as they need me ..."
that particular evening the boys asked many questions about our faith and that evening our two sons accepted Jesus as their savior and made a conscious decision to be baptized. It was beautiful.
Frank: Regina always says that I need my patients as much as they need me. And like always, she is right. I enjoy my work but I
"There is wisdom in waves. Some surfers see it right away, others never do. To find success in surfing, we must learn to be in harmony with nature. This will bring a sense of peace. By sharing this peace, and contributing to other people's happiness, we can find the true meaning of life. Keep surfing . . ."
- Gerry Lopez, Mr. Pipeline
64 • July–August 2019 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com