It's funny how sometimes as we grow older the more recent memories fade away as those memories from our earlier life become more vivid. This Father's Day I have spent a lot of time contemplating my father. Dad spent the last 15+ years of his life confined in many ways. A brain aneurysm had taken much of his mobility away, and yet his spirit and his drive never faded. When cancer struck, his body began to waste away, and he became a physical shell of his former self. Still he was Dad - still the strong, silent patriarch of the family.
I have a hard time remembering those last years. Those memories have been graciously replaced by those of better times. Dad is once again that strong and invincible man of my youth. Throughout our lives, he was a constant, stable force. To me it seemed he could do anything - build anything - fix anything. His drive to work hard was always tempered, however, with a desire to enjoy life in the "now". Work projects for our family were often accompanied by a fun reward at the end...Saturday afternoon yard work would often conclude with a family cookout or a backyard ball game. Even as we worked, the truck radio or garage sound system would be playing Dad's favorite tunes... or the ball game...or a NASCAR race to help us pass the time.We learned to work and play together as a family. We learned the value of teamwork!
On this Father's Day, I honor my father by remembering. Remembering fishing trips, Geneva on the Lake, sand dunes, and skating on the pond across the road in the winter. Remembering weeding rows of vegetables, and picking potato bugs, and backyard baseball games. Remembering strong, calloused hands on my forehead checking in the night to see if my fever had broken. Remembering stern looks, a crooked finger held up to make a point, and that twinkle in his eye when the pixie in him began to leak out. Remembering long, epic poems recited from memory, singing "Letter Edged in Black" with his brother Bill, joking with his sister Betty. Remembering those times we had alone together, when words were not needed, and simple companionship was enough to fill the empty spaces. Remembering security and love...
Remembering...until we can meet again!
I have a hard time remembering those last years. Those memories have been graciously replaced by those of better times. Dad is once again that strong and invincible man of my youth. Throughout our lives, he was a constant, stable force. To me it seemed he could do anything - build anything - fix anything. His drive to work hard was always tempered, however, with a desire to enjoy life in the "now". Work projects for our family were often accompanied by a fun reward at the end...Saturday afternoon yard work would often conclude with a family cookout or a backyard ball game. Even as we worked, the truck radio or garage sound system would be playing Dad's favorite tunes... or the ball game...or a NASCAR race to help us pass the time.We learned to work and play together as a family. We learned the value of teamwork!
On this Father's Day, I honor my father by remembering. Remembering fishing trips, Geneva on the Lake, sand dunes, and skating on the pond across the road in the winter. Remembering weeding rows of vegetables, and picking potato bugs, and backyard baseball games. Remembering strong, calloused hands on my forehead checking in the night to see if my fever had broken. Remembering stern looks, a crooked finger held up to make a point, and that twinkle in his eye when the pixie in him began to leak out. Remembering long, epic poems recited from memory, singing "Letter Edged in Black" with his brother Bill, joking with his sister Betty. Remembering those times we had alone together, when words were not needed, and simple companionship was enough to fill the empty spaces. Remembering security and love...
