By Jason Hughes, Co Owner, River Pools and Spas
Life's a wild ride and it's been an adventure so far. My wife Chrissy and I have four children: Grayson-11, 
Seth-6, Isaac-4, and Lily-2. We have had the unique opportunity of being together since my 8th grade year. High school sweethearts….try middle school sweethearts:) That means at 32, I have spent more of my life with her than without her. I am grateful that she has seen fit to stay with my ornery tail for all this time (especially during my college years).
Speaking of my college years, the most amazing thing happened to me about half way through my college career. I spent my first two years at CNU living on or around campus and then moved to the Northern Neck when Chrissy and I married. We built a house and our first son was born. I decided to attempt to work full time and take online classes to work toward graduation. I bombed after a few weeks… it was pathetic. Then one day, a dear friend named Ingelene Ruddell called on us and asked to visit. We hadn’t seen her for quite some time and we immediately set a time to have her over. We knew Ingelene from my wife’s church (which we were not attending). She was a loving woman in her late seventies with a strong German accent. I will never forget what happened when she arrived at our home on that random weekday evening. I was seated on the couch when we heard a knock on the door. My wife welcomed her in. When she crossed the threshold of our front door something inside me changed. She could have walked through the door, turned around, and walked right back out and the result would have been the same. A light (which is the closest analogy I can make) turned on inside me and God was the one who flipped the switch. I immediately came to a realization that my life was no longer about me… and it was all about to change.
And change it did. But change is not an accurate description of what actually happened inside me that day. You can change an old Ford Pinto by replacing the interior and giving it a paint job, but it’s still a Pinto. What if it's a Mercedes the owner is after? He'd better scrap the pinto and get to work with some better raw materials. More than an upgrade is required; a completely new model is in order. Now, I'm no Mercedes; that's not what I'm getting at. But God did throw the "old me" on the junk heap, and he is currently employed at making something much more valuable (when I let him). And this ‘new beginning’ has been the foundation of my life. I thank Him every day and have not looked back since that most singular experience. B.t.w- The following semester I tried school again under the same conditions (full-time job + 18 credit hrs) and received all A's and one B in four semesters until graduation.
In 2001 I had another amazing experience. My wife felt prompted to schedule me for a routine physical. I was 23 at the time and in ‘perfect health’. "I hate going to doctors. I'm not sick and I'm not going!" I said stubbornly. But Chrissy would not relent and her feelings were so strong that it led her to tears. I acquiesced and went to see Dr. Rocky Tingle, a country doctor who is good to the core. He has a long family history of helping the people of the Northern Neck. His father, also a physician, worked for decades visiting the sick and needy in our region and passed his legacy to his son. I will never forget that visit with Dr. Tingle. At first we went through the motions....this looks good, that looks good, normal stuff. But then he ordered a test…a cardiac test. In retrospect he stated that he didn’t know why it was ordered, but it revealed some major problems with the aortic valve of my heart. It turns out that over 70% of the blood that was pumped out was spilling back into my heart because of the insufficient valve. I should have had major symptoms. I should have been constantly fatigued and out of breath. But here I was; a guy that played high school and college athletics and never had any idea! Six weeks later I was at St. Mary’s Hospital having open heart surgery. They later told me “you ever hear of people just dropping dead because their heart exploded?…..well that’s what could have happened to you”. This was nothing short of miraculous. I am grateful to my wife for heeding the prompting given her. I am grateful to Dr. Tingle for allowing something other than logic to guide the care he gives. And I am most grateful to my Father in Heaven for seeing fit for me to be here. I share this event only because when I underwent the surgery I found it very helpful to talk with those who had shared similar experiences. I have since had the opportunity to do the same for others and hope to continue to do so.
In late 2000 we decided to start River Pools and Spas. Sounded great until a few months later I found out I was scheduled for surgery. Luckily I had a business partner who was as bull headed as I was. He laughed at the notion of postponing the start-up until the following year. Thank God he did because I have learned more in the past 8 years then I could have under any other circumstances. Our ownership group, Marc, Jim, and I, have been three strong for almost the entire life of the company. It is a privilege to work with such venerable men on the most adventurous journey of our lives. We have taken our licks as we tend to learn things the hard way, but we never give up and considered by many to be a true success story. I am grateful to all of our wonderful customers, and especially our employees; the core of our company. River Pools is so much more than a business venture that’s focused on the bottom line. We have a very real mission to improve the quality of life of our customers, employees, and ourselves that guides our decisions. This experience has tempered my abilities and character in every way and I look forward to what the future holds.
Business ownership keeps you on your toes and has fueled an intrinsic desire within me to improve. This passion for self development led me to the second major paradigm shift that changed the way I live my life. Several years ago I discovered the joy of learning. This happened when some friends exposed me to a classical education model known as Thomas Jefferson Education (TJed). TJed is a model based on the principle that one becomes great by coming face to face with greatness; primarily through mentors and classics. A love of learning now burned within me and I began a self study program that continues to this day. For the second time in my life I discovered something within me that filled a void that I never knew existed. At first I questioned what real benefit comes from reading old books?’ Then I read Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and it changed my life, just as any true classic will. I found myself there with Tom in the throes of slavery. I felt his pain when he was sold “down south” and forced to leave his wife and children. I was there with him as he was whipped and beaten at the new plantation. I watched him raise above his bitter circumstances as his faith in God lead him to lift those around him up. His unwavering faith and goodness became part of my character. He had become a teacher to me. Just as I was with him in his trials, he now stands with me when I am discouraged or tempted to waiver. It’s then that he reminds me that true joy is not based on my current situation, regardless of how bad things may be. This is how it works and I’m hooked. Chrissy and I share this value, this love of learning, and are working to create a culture of learning in our family. We home school our children. It’s a wild ride and tons of fun.
Chrissy and I also want to teach our children the value of service. I have come to the conclusion that the only way I feel true joy in my life is to serve others and forget my own selfish desires. I do this so imperfectly, but I try to make it my mantra. Service comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s something as simple as sharing a smile, or taking time to really listen to someone when it’s inconvenient. Sometimes it’s much more. I think the key for me is just doing whatever I feel prompted to do, and I’ve had some pretty awesome experiences. I’ve come to realize that great power is actualized when a group of people come together for the purpose of helping others. More is accomplished collectively then could ever be achieved with each individual working separately. There are many worthy organizations out there that give themselves to this same purpose and I would recommend this work to anyone who feels that something is missing from their life. The feeling of fulfillment that comes from this defies description. Thanks for taking the time to find out what we are really about here at River Pools. If you are an existing customer, thanks for your business and I hope your enjoying our product. If you are trying to find the right company or product for you, I hope we can meet your needs. Thanks again and God Bless.
Jason Hughes
Co-owner, River Pools and Spas
**Visit Jason's Popular Christianity Blog at Fig Living**
(Shown below on left is Lilly(the youngest of 4 little ones) and Grayson is on the right(the Big Brother)
